Journey to the Past
by Kira Neami
Summary: Rei Kamamoto always thought she was a normal girl. She grew up with her friends and went to school like any other teenager. Her life was perfect. That is... until a Shinigami named Rukia appears in her life and ruins everything. Secrets are reveled and old ghosts come back from the dead. The question is... What will she do now?
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! So I know I've been gone a really long time. I really have nothing to say other than life sucked and probably will continue to. However! I won't let that get me down. I will continue where I left off on my stories. I want to thank everyone who has stood by as I take a long ass time to update. I will try not to take as long. I actually have other things in the making so expect those sometime soon.**

 **Thanks again and I'm so sorry for the long wait.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OC and anything different from the plot.**

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 _Prologue: 25 years ago_

 _I was fleeing from them; from everything I ever knew and have ever held dear to me. My friends, my family, my comrades, but most importantly, I was fleeing from the man I loved. I could feel the tears I refused to show pushing their way to the surface._

 _My Zanpakutō, Kazetori, was gripped in my hand as I shunpoed from one roof top to another. The screams of others reached my ears, their Reiatsu growing closer to me._

" _You can't run forever, Yue! You must answer for your actions!" the scream of one of my best friends sounded so close. Casting a glance back, I could see the familiar red of his hair, the black of his tattoos, and the gleam of his Zanpakutō, Zabimaru, as his brown eyes narrowed with anger._

" _Why won't you believe me, Renji?!" I screamed back as I continued to run. My dark green eyes locked with his before I turned back to the front. The ponytail I usually kept my hair in had fallen, allowing my long blackish-purple hair to fly in the breeze. My_ _Shihakushō was torn from my earlier fight with an 8_ _th_ _Division member; the usual sash at my hips was gone, leaving the sheath for Kazetori in my other hand. The only thing still intact was the deep purple ribbon around my neck, the only thing I have left._

 _Before I knew it, I could feel Renji's Reiatsu explode before I was knocked off of the roof I just landed on. A hand was firmly pressed to the center of my back as we fell from the air. Yet, I refused to drop my sword._

 _The landing was painful. My sheath had landed just below my throat, my breath caught as I fought to breathe. My arms were forced behind my back in a painful vice, my sword kicked out of my reach. Twisting my head, I locked eyes with one of my oldest, and closest, friends. Before I could open my mouth, the sound of footsteps stopped me. My eyes widened to the side of dinner plates as I was flooded with the overbearing Reiatsu of my own Captain. Beside him, I could feel the pressure of my Lieutenant, her Reiatsu somber as she followed._

" _Yue-Chan…"_

 _Her call brought forth the tears I refused to shed. The tears mixed with the blood from the various cuts on my face from my fall. "Captain Hitsugaya…. Lieutenant Matsumoto…." I weakly called. Looking away from Renji, I caught my Captain's eyes._

 _Betrayal_

 _Rage_

 _Disappointment_

 _Those were the emotions I could plainly see on his youthful face. Those bright teal eyes that usually held annoyance or boredom were filled with betrayal. His snow-white hair blew in the wind as he drew his sword._

" _Come peacefully or I will cut you down and bring you in by force." His words cut like a dagger to my heart. I continued to let my tears fall as he waved for Matsumoto to stand where she was, his small form walking towards me. "You won't fight?" he questioned, his eyes hard as he stared at m prone form._

 _Renji pressed harder on my back, crushing my lungs, and pushing my sheath further into my throat._

" _I do not wish to fight any of you, Captain." I breathed out. It was true. I would never wish harm on the three before me, they meant too much to me. Locking eyes with Toshiro once again, I gave a regretful smile, "However,"_

 _I saw his eyes widen in surprise for a split second, allowing me to twist one of my hands, my pointer and index fingers pointing to the space around us. "BAKUDO #1: SAI!" I screamed, releasing my own Reiatsu. Shouts of anger and surprise escaped the three as their arms were forced behind their backs and their bodies forced to their knees, their weapons dropping to the ground. While they were all trapped in my Kido spell, I quickly got to my feet, pulling my Zanpakutō with me and sheathing her. "I do not wish to be arrested for something I did not do."_

 _Bringing a hand to my throat, I rubbed at the tender flesh, feeling a bruise already forming. I winced at the pain it brought. Looking back to my Captain, I could see the anger boiling in his eyes. "What do you expect to accomplish, Ukitake?!" he demanded, "Do you plan to make your father suffer for your actions?!"_

 _His words were sharp, leaving an unseen wound on my heart, my mind bringing forth the image of my ill father._

 _Daddy…._

 _Hardening my face, I walked towards Hitsugaya. "My father has nothing to do with my actions. They are mine, and mine alone, Captain." Reaching out a hand, I gently placed it on my friend's shoulder, "Stay here, Toshiro. Please, I do not want any of you involved in this." I pleaded, my eyes softening at the sight of my friend._

 _Retracting my hand, I looked to the unusually quiet Matsumoto. "Rangiku-Chan… forgive me for the pain I have brought you." It pained me to hurt the woman I saw as my older sister, the man who was once one of my best friends, and finally my Captain and true best friend, the boy I had known since he joined the Academy all those years ago. Casting once last look to them, I bowed to Toshiro for the last time before I shunpoed away again._

 _As I left my friends behind, I continued on my way to my exile._

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 _It wasn't long after fleeing from the 10_ _th_ _Division Captain and Lieutenant as well as the 6_ _th_ _Division Lieutenant that I had made my way to the Senkaimon._

 _Just as I reached and opened the gate to the Human World, I was surrounded by other members of the Gotei 13. Swords were drawn and ready to be of use as the Captains of the 13_ _th_ _, 8_ _th_ _, 5_ _th_ _, and 2_ _nd_ _Divisions stepped forward._

 _I locked eyes with two of the four Captains present. My eyes hardened at the sight of the Captain of the 5_ _th_ _Division, Sōsuke Aizen. 'It's his fault I'm in this position! His fault I must flee from here!' My mind raged at the sight of the man. He had a sly smile on his face as he watched the scene unfold._

" _Yue Ukitake!" came the shout of the 2_ _nd_ _Division Captain, Suì-Fēng, stepped forward, her Zanpakutō, Suzumebachi, on her hand. "You have been charged with treason for the attempted murder of Captain Gin Ichimaru and must therefore, be brought in for execution!" her expression was murderous as she glared at me._

 _I recoiled at the accusation, my blood running cold. Is that what I was being charged for? Impossible…_

 _A movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention. The Captain of the 13_ _th_ _Division, Jūshirō Ukitake, my father, stepped forward. I could see the pain in his identical green eyes to my own, the eyes I inherited from him. "Yue, please sweetheart, do not make this harder than it needs to be." He called to me, his voice cracking. He had yet to draw his sword, a sign of his hesitance._

 _I turned my eyes away from him; I couldn't bear the look on my father's face. Never in my life had I imagined he would hold such a look for me. As his daughter, it pained me to see him in this state._

 _Seeing my only family before me, I could feel my tears fall once again. I didn't want to fight them, couldn't they see that?! Why did none of them believe me?! I was framed!_

 _Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I looked towards my father again, forcing my tears to cease. "Daddy, you always told me to do what I thought was right. Well, I will. I will clear my name and come back to you some day." Scanning the faces of the Shinigami around me, I took note that Toshiro, Rangiku, and Renji had escaped my spell and now stood amongst my other friends. Izuru Kira, Gin's Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, Aizen's Lieutenant, and Rukia Kuchiki, my father's subordinate, all stood with impassive looks on their faces._

 _Closing my eyes for a moment, I imagined the scene that brought forth all of their hatred. My form trembled in fear and anger at the group of Shinigami surrounding me. I allowed that anger to fill my being._

 _Snapping my eyes open, I hardened my gaze as I glared at the group. If they wanted to treat me like a traitor, then fine. I could see that nothing I said would change their minds. I was dead to them; therefore, they would be dead to me._

 _Time seemed to slow as I watched Captain Suì-Fēng leap from her place beside Aizen, Suzumebachi aimed directly at me. Green clashed with grey as I placed my hand on Kazetori. In an instant, the sound of metal against the sheath was heard in my ears as I raised my black tinted blade to defend. Spinning on my heel, I swung my Zanpakutō in front of my body in an arc. My voice rang out in a low whisper as I summoned the power of my weapon._

" _Spread your wings and soar, Kazetori."_

' _ **With pleasure, Yue.'**_ _The voice of my Zanpakutō rang clear as day in my mind._ _ **'Make them pay for their sins!'**_ _Her voice was enraged by the position I was placed in._

 _A large gust of wind met with the 2_ _nd_ _Division Captain, throwing her back towards the other Captains and Lieutenants. Rips and tears appeared on her uniform, blood leaking from a nasty gash on her shoulder. Her eyes moved to the weapon in my hand._

 _Instead of the usual katana, I now held Kazetori in her Shikai form. Her main blade stood intact, however, when I swung my Zanpakutō, four new blades unfolded from the main, two new and shorter blades on each side of the main. A fan like appearance took shape as I held Kazetori before my body, ready for any attack the others would do. Her lilac colored hilt sat in the palm of my hand, the tsuba the color of the night._

" _Do you mean to fight me, Ukitake?" Suì-Fēng demanded. Captain Kyōraku, leader of the 8_ _th_ _Division, as well as my Godfather, looked between my father and I. His usual playful smile was void from his face as he spectated._

" _I do not wish to fight you, Captain Suì-Fēng. Nor do I wish to fight you, Godfather." Sliding my eyes over, I stared at the older male. I could see the concern he had for my family in those deep grey eyes._

 _I would not be fooled. These people were no longer my friends. They were no longer my family._

 _No_

 _They were the enemy._

 _Looking behind me, I could see a single Jigokuchō land on my shoulder, indicating that the Senkaimon was ready for use._

" _STOP HER!"_

 _The shout from Aizen urged my body to move. Dropping to my knees, I slammed my hands on the ground, a cloud of red smoke escaping from the point of contact. "Bakudo #21: Sekienton!" I shouted. The smoke quickly covered the area, obscuring the officers of the Gotei 13 from my view as I fled into the gate._

 _I did not look back as my father called out to me. I did not waver as I heard the angered shouts of the other Captains. And I did not slow when I felt Toshiro give chase once again, Renji on his heels. I gripped Kazetori tighter in my hand as I ran._

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 **So here is the start of yet another story. I know I always start things and never finish them. I am not leaving my other stories if that is what anyone is thinking. I simply don't have any idea how to progress them. So in the meantime, I hope you like the new content.**

 **Also, if there is a story you want to see an update for, leave it in the review. If not, expect my sporadic updating as it has been.**


	2. Chapter 1

_BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

My hand slammed on the offending noise, quickly throwing my room into a state of silence. A groan escapes my lips as I slowly drag myself from the nest of blankets. _'Why must it be so damn early?'_ My eyes locked onto the, now silent, alarm clock to see that it was 6:30. I had to be at school soon.

"Ugh… I hate mornings…" I grumbled as I slowly made my way from my bed. The early sunlight flooded into my room, momentarily blinding me with its annoying light.

Dragging myself to my closet, I grabbed my school uniform and my signature hoodie. The uniform, was a grey pleated skirt that reached my mid-thighs. My uniform shirt was a long sleeved white button up shirt with a red ribbon bow round my neck. Over the shirt was a grey colored jacket with red accenting the breast and side pockets and other smaller details to the uniform. Instead of wearing the white socks, I wore a pair of black leggings under my skirt. My hoodie was a plain purple with a little bird pattern on the back.

Dressing in the uniform, I made my way to the bathroom where I brushed my teeth and brushed my short strawberry blonde hair. Scanning the bathroom, I searched for my contacts. "Where did I put the damn thing?" I asked to no one. Finally, I spotted the case in the medicine cabinet along with a small bottle of pain killers.

Grabbing the contacts, I began to apply the blue lenses to my eyes. Blinking a few times, I waited for the lenses to adjust before making sure the damn things didn't fall out.

It was after I put the contacts in that I took the time to study myself in the mirror.

My hair was cut into a short bob, falling at my chin. The pale blue lenses I now wore covered my green eyes. I wasn't super tall, only being just slightly above average height with my light skin only having a slight tan from all the times I spent outside. My uniform covered most of my body with my hoodie covering my arms from view, leaving my hands, neck, and head visible. Upon further inspection, I noticed something missing from my usual school attire.

"Ah! My ribbon!" I exclaimed, dashing back into my room.

When I turned around, my knee clashed painfully with the door, bringing forth a cry of pain. "OW!" I cried. Hopping on one foot, I gripped my knee, hoping to ease the pain I felt. My eyes screwed shut as I slowly placed my foot back to the floor. Shocks surged through the appendage with each step I took out of the bathroom.

Once I was safely back in my room, I opened my eyes, searching for my jewelry box. Grumbling under my breath, I made my way towards my bookshelf on the farthest side of the room. The first, third and fourth shelves all held books and journals I had collected over the years. They were stories I found I liked as well as stories, dreams really, that I made up when I was younger. However, the second shelf was bare of any such books. Instead, in the center of the shelf sat a small rectangular silver jewelry box with feather like accents covering the box. On either side of the jewelry box were pictures of me with my mother on the right. On the left was a picture of me with my friends upon graduating middle school, my arms around my best friend's neck. Upon opening the box, I found a single object within the black velvet lined container.

The long silk cloth was colored a deep purple, the edges frayed from use with a small tear at the bottom of it.

The ribbon has been with me for as long as I could remember, having been a present from my mom and uncles. When I had asked about it, Mom would tell me that my deceased father had wanted me to have it when I was born.

"Meow."

The sudden noise threw me from my thoughts, causing a yelp of surprise to escape my throat. Casting my gaze behind me, I was met with bright gold eyes and black fur. Sitting on the center of my bed was a black cat with sleek black fur. Her golden eyes watched me with an, almost human, look of amusement.

Releasing a sigh, I walked over to my bed, my hand stroking the fur of the feline perched there.

"Chi-chan, don't sneak up on me!" I scolded the feline. Looking to my clock, I saw that an hour had passed by since I had awoken. My eyes widened in horror. "Shit! I'm going to be late!" I screamed as I scrambled to gather the rest of my things. Tying my ribbon around my head in a makeshift headband, I grabbed my backpack and dashed out of my room. "Bye-bye Chi-chan! Be good while I'm gone!" I shouted as I grabbed my shoes and ran out the front door, not bothering to lock it since Mom would be home soon anyway.

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I ignored the looks I got from students as I ran towards my classroom. My too big hoodie flew behind me as I weaved my way through the mass of students. My annoyance was flaring as people walked in my direct path.

"Out of my way, ya morons!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

After more pushing and shoving with shouts of protest, I finally made it to my class just as Ochi-Sensei walked up. Ducking into the room, I gave my greetings to my friends as I made my way to my seat, third row and right next to the window. _'This is turning out to be an annoying day.'_ I think as I pull out my books, pencil, and journal for the day.

For the first few minutes of class, Sensei called out the attendance.

"Kamamoto Rei?"

Upon the sound of my name, I raised my hand with a bored face. "Present." I called sarcastically, earning a glare from our stern teacher. Giving a cheeky grin I turned my attention out the window.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Perking my ears at the name, I twisted around in my seat, scanning the classroom for the familiar carrot top. I found him directly behind me and to the right. His bright orange hair stood out against the waves of black and brown, minus Orihime's orange hair. His brown eyes were narrowed in boredom and slight annoyance as our friends pestered him. His uniform was the standard male version of my own, grey pants and jacket and a blue tee-shirt under his jacket. Waving to the group, I was met with grins and waves as Ichigo answered the teacher. Turning back to the window, I awaited the long and boring lecture that was sure to follow.

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I must have missed the first half of class because the next thing I was aware of was Ichigo ruffling my hair. "Gah! Ichigo~~ why are ya bein' mean to me?" I whine as I attempt to fix my unwanted hair style. Glaring at my friend, I see my ribbon in his hand along with a bento box. Seeing the lunch, my stomach decided to make itself known with a loud growl, causing my face to flush in embarrassment.

"Forgot your lunch again, Rei?" he asked with a smirk. Damn him and his know-it-all attitude.

"What of it, Ichi?" I huffed out. Crossing my arms over my chest, I turned away from the orange haired teen, my blush still on my face.

Ichigo laughed at my childish actions, having grown used to them in the years we have known each other. "Come on, Rei. The others are waiting for us." He states as he begins to walk away from me and towards the door.

A thought just hit me as I watched him walk out of the room. "Ichi! You still have my ribbon!" I yelled as I leapt from my desk, chasing after my much taller friend. Searching the halls, I was disappointed to see that Ichigo had vanished from view. I was about to turn back into the room when I was lifted from the ground by my hoodie.

"Wha-"

Looking over my shoulder, I was met with the stoic face of Yasutora Sado, or Chad as he was known to everyone else. His messy brown hair hung over his eyes, keeping every emotion from view. His dark skin was a drastic contrast to the grey of the school uniform. Though the most notable feature of my friend was his height.

Man was a freaking giant compared to everyone else.

"Chad?" I questioned as he began walking towards the staircase leading to the roof. As usual, the tall Mexican boy remained silent as we walked. I was fine with the silence. Chad never required words in order to communicate to Ichigo or I. the three of us just seemed to always know what the others were saying.

We soon reached the roof with little issues, aside from a teacher nagging at me for my dyed hair.

Chad walked over to our friends by the fence, placing me on the ground beside Ichigo. Fixing my disheveled hoodie, I smiled up at the giant student. "Thanks for the ride, Chad." The taller male grunted with a nod of his head to show his response.

"REI-CHAN!"

"Eep!" a squeak escaped my throat as I was tackled by the resident womanizer, Keigo Asano. The brown-haired teen threw his arms around my neck as he began to nuzzle my cheek. The flipped pieces of his hair brushed against my nose, causing the urge to sneeze. He was dressed in the same fashion as the other two boys I knew. His brown eyes were screwed shut in happiness as he continued to hold me in his hug of doom.

"I thought you had abandoned me, my lovely flower~!" his hold changed to circle around my shoulders, my face pressed into his chest. The air in my lungs escaped, making breathing an effort.

"Oi, Keigo! Get off of her!" came Ichigo's annoyed shout. The arms around me were soon ripped from my body, allowing air to return to my lungs. My body swayed from the lack of oxygen, my head feeling light and my vision slightly spinning. Hands fell on my shoulders, steadying me as I tried to regain my breathing.

"Are you alright, Rei-chan?" came the concerned voice of Keigo's close friend and the womanizer of older women, Mizuiro Kojima. His dark green eyes lingered on my form as I regained my bearings. Turing to face him, I gave a side hug to the black-haired teen.

"Thanks for not letting me fall, Mizuiro-kun. And I should be fine now." I smiled as I made my way back over to Ichigo's side. Plopping down, hummed in content as I watched the four males bothering each other. All the while, I began to munch on Ichigo's forgotten lunch.

' _I should ask Yuzu-chan to cook for me sometime.'_ I thought with a smile. I was too busy stuffing my face that I never noticed Ichigo sitting behind me. I did, however, notice when he began to gather my bangs from my face, pulling them back and securing my beloved ribbon around my head.

"Man, Ichigo! And I thought you couldn't get any lamer!" Keigo laughed, pointing at my friend. "Who knew you did girly things like play with a girl's hair!" his laugh echoed around is in waves. Tears fell from his eyes as he rolled on the ground like an idiot.

A slight tug on my hair alerted me to Ichigo's own annoyance, a growl sounding from the hot-headed teen.

I could feel my eye twitch at the annoying boy. Didn't he remember that Ichigo has two younger sisters? Did Keigo not remember that he, himself, has a younger sister? "Keigo-kun." I called with a sweet smile.

Hearts appeared in his eyes as he quickly knelt in front of me, my hands tightly grasped in his. "Yes, Rei-chan? Whatever do you nee-"

His rant was cut off as I slammed my head against his, throwing Kaigo a few feet away from us. "Stop picking on Ichi, Asano-san." I growled out as I rubbed my sore head. "Besides," I began, standing from my place and offering a hand to Mizuiro as the end of lunch bell rang. "At least these three are gentlemen and walked me to lunch," Keigo cringed as if struck by some unseen force, "Helped me not collapse," more unseen attacks, "and fixed my hair when all I needed was my ribbon back." I finished. By now, Keigo had collapsed on the ground, tears falling from his eyes as he whimpered.

Scoffing at his behavior, I waved to the other three males before making my way back into the school building, intent of finding my two only female friends before class starts again.

Scouting around the school, I saw them walking back into the school.

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"Orihime-chan! Tatsuki-chan!" a voice called to the two girls. The first was a girl with long waist length burnt orange hair and grey colored eyes. Two snowflake shaped hairpins secure her bangs on either side of her face. She wore the standard female uniform with a pair of knee high socks instead of leggings like her blonde-haired friend. The most noticeable feature being her well-formed chest. Beside her was another female with short black hair with small pieces of hair spiking out at the sides. Her eyes were a dark brown with her bangs falling just over her right eyebrow.

Tatsuki was the first to turn to the owner of the voice. Running towards them was a girl with short strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore the usual uniform with long black leggings and a jacket over her top. On the top of her head was a deep purple ribbon to hold her hair back from her face.

Lifting a hand in lazy greeting, Tatsuki grinned to the running female. "Yo, Rei." She called.

The previously mentioned orangette also turned to give a large bubbly smile to her friend. "Rei-chan!"

Together, the two girls left their group of females in order to go greet their friend. Hugs and fist bumps were exchanged between the three in greeting, smiles never leaving their faces. "Boy, am I glad I found you two before going back to class. I don't think that Asano would be alive anymore if I had stayed with them." Rei sighed dramatically.

This brought forth laughs from the other two girls as the three made their way back to class.

"I don't see why you have to sit with the guys all the time Rei. You know you could always sit with us." Tatsuki scolded her blonde friend. "So, what happened this time?" she asked with a grin.

Rei shrugged her shoulders in response. "Thanks for the offer, Tatsu-chan, but I would rather not be involved in all the gossip or be a victim to Chizuru either. And the only thing that happened was that Keigo tried to suffocate me again, with his crushing hug of death." She spoke with annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout. Her eyes narrowed at the memory of the annoying brunet smothering her to his chest.

"Seriously?" Tatsuki exclaimed.

"Are you alright?" Orihime asked in concern.

The blonde-haired female hummed in response, content with her thoughts. "I'm fine. Ichigo beat him up for me and then fixed my ribbon." She explained, a hand coming up to trace over the worn material in her hair, a smile on her face. She looked over to her friends to see their reactions to the news. Tatsuki looked on in bewilderment while Orihime blushed at the mention of her crush and the good deed he did. A sly grin passed over Rei's features as she nudged her friend. "You thinking about Ichigo, Orihime?" she teased.

"R-rei-chan!" Orihime stuttered, her hands waving in front of her in defense. Her cheeks were stained a deep red from her embarrassment.

A hand suddenly collided with Rei's head, causing the girl to wince in pain as her tomboy friend retracted her hand. "Stop picking on Orihime. You know she can't handle it." She scolded with a frown.

"Tatsuki-chan, you don't have to hit her!" came Orihime's defense of her blonde friend.

"Ah, I'll be fine, Orihime. I've taken worse from her before, ne, Tatsu-chan?" a cheeky grin spread on Rei's face as she held a fist out the ravenette. Her earlier pain forgotten.

Tatsuki merely laughed at the pet name as she bumped fists. "I'll say. You sure can take a punch Rei." She laughed, causing the mentioned blonde to laugh as well. Turning back to their last friend. The three girls continued their way back to the classroom for more boring lectures.

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After lunch had ended, classes resumed as usual with nothing exciting happening. Once classes had ended for the day and I finished with my orchestra practice, I had packed away my things before walking over to Ichigo. Poking his back to catch his attention, I motioned to the door.

"Apparently, I'm having dinner with you guys." I deadpanned to the orange haired teen.

Brown eyes twitched in annoyance, a tick mark forming on his brow. "And why is that?" he questioned, grabbing his own bag and heading for the door.

I shrugged my shoulders to show my confusion. "No idea. Mom just text me saying that she had business to attend to and that she would contact your dad. Didn't really answer when I asked why." I grumbled in annoyance. While I had no issue spending time with the Kurosaki family, having been with them since Ichigo and I were born, I did have a problem with Mom just making choices with no explanation.

Grumbling a complaint under his breath, Ichigo and I made our way out of the school building after changing our shoes and exchanging a quick good bye with our friends.

The walk to the Kurosaki Clinic and Household was a long one, Ichigo had his bag swung over his shoulder as he walked in thought. The silence that overcame us was peaceful, bringing my attention to the sky.

Blue slowly began to fade to orange, indicating the approaching night. I watched as the clouds floated idly by in wisps and various shapes. _'That one looks like a kitty…'_ my mind supplied was I traced the shape of the kitty's ears and head, giving the animal shape.

"REI!"

A hand gripped my wrist before a sharp tug jerked my body forward. My back collided with Ichigo's chest just as a group of skateboarders zipped past us. My eyes widened in horror when I watched one of the jerks knock over a small vase with a few flowers. The water spilt to the ground as the flowers were flattened by their wheels.

"Watch where you're going, dumbass!" Ichigo shouted to the group. My eyes were still on the flowers that once held a memorial for a girl who was killed here.

Gripping Ichigo's sleeve, I began to tug like a child. "Ichigo!" I shouted in a whisper, "Look, the vase!" I pointed to the knocked over vase by the light post. Instantly I could feel the air around my friend change from annoyance to anger. His hold on me tightened just before he released his hands and walked over to the group responsible.

Ichigo had always been sensitive when it comes to the dead, having been able to see them since we were children. I knew he cared about their memory and hated when anyone disrespected them.

Without a word, Ichigo walked towards the first guy of their little group he saw. I couldn't even blink before his fist connected with the other man's face. He cried out in pain, clutching his nose when my friend delivered a swift kick to the man's chest, knocking the wind out of him and effectively knocking him out. After downing him, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair to assess the rest of the group.

The first to speak must have been the leader with the way he spoke to my friend. "You got a death wish, pal? Nobody jumps one of my boys for no reason and lives to tell about it!" He was older than us, probably in his late twenties with a thin mustache and a white beanie on his head. His curly brown hair was tied at the nape of his neck with a coin pendant falling at his collarbone. He wore a white shirt with a red leaf printed on the front along with a pair of baggy cargo pants and a pair of sneakers.

I let out a small giggle as Ichigo simply hummed in response. His posture was relaxed with his hand in his hair and the other in his pocket.

It seemed that his answer angered the man even more when he shouted out, "That's all you have to say?!" before bringing up a fist aimed at Ichigo's head. I did laugh when he didn't even make it a foot before the carrot top effortlessly brought a foot to the annoying man's face as if just stepping on a bug. The leader moaned in pain before joining his little lackey on the ground.

Just as his face met the ground, Ichigo took it a step further and began to bring his foot down on the center of the man's back. Taking that as my cue, I scurried my way over to the fallen vase. Kneeling beside the memorial, I brought the vase back to an upright position, the flowers too damaged to be saved. A small sad sigh was heard from in front of me, causing me to snap my eyes towards the source of the sound.

Crouching before me with large brown eyes locked on the vase, was a girl of about 14 years old with her brown hair tied into two high pigtails on either side of her head. She wore a sleeveless shirt with red and white stripes with white trimming on the garment. She wore a pair of shorts reaching to her mid-thigh with a pair of brown loafers on her feet. In the center of her chest was the proof of her being dead. There, hanging innocently, was a silver chain link. Reaching out, I grasped her hand in mine, causing her to snap her eyes towards me. "You can see me?" she asked in a whisper.

I gave a small smile to the girl, feeling a surge of protectiveness over the spirit. "Yeah, I can see you. And so can my friend over there."

"Now listen up you pawn scum!" Ichigo shouted, bringing my attention back to him and the group. His hand was clenched into a fist in front of his chest, shaking with anger. "Do you see that?!" he demanded the group of three, bringing out his other hand to point at the vase in my hands.

Once he was sure all three were looking in my direction, he lowered his hand and began again. "First question: What do you think that is?" his eyes scanned the group before falling on one of them. "You! The one in the middle, answer!"

His shout startled the man since he exchanged frightened looked with his friends before pointing to himself. "W-wait, you talkin' ta me?" he asked, his voice shaking with nerves. His eyes trailed over to where I was still kneeling beside the spirit girl, his gaze trailing over my form before landing on the vase. "I see a pretty girl over there." He answered. A protective fire entered Ichigo's eyes as he growled threateningly towards him. The idiot yelled in fear as Ichigo took a step towards him. "I guess somebody left those flowers for some kid who got killed here!" he corrected.

The next thing I was aware of, Ichigo had planted the heel of his foot under the man's chin, sending him backwards from the hit with a shout of, "Correct!" I could tell he put a little more force behind that kick for the comment he made towards me by the way the man flew.

Eh, I've seen him do better kicks before.

"Now the next question," he asked, turning to the other two, "That vase over there: why was it laying on its side and not standing upright?"

The other two looked on like a pair of morons before the one on the left finally answered. "I guess… one of us knocked it over when we were skateboarding through here…" he weakly retorted. "We didn-" he was cut off as Ichigo delivered a kick that knocked both offenders back.

"You guys catch on fast." He mocked before, what I have dubbed the "Demon Ichigo" face appeared over his features. I could imagine the look with little flames behind him as he crossed his arms and glared at them. "Now go and apologize or else next time, the flowers will be for YOU! And while you're at it, apologize to my friend here for almost running her over."

The group of skaters yelled in fear as they all turned to face me. By now, I had walked over to stand beside Ichigo with the vase still in hand. Holding out the memorial, I gave a sly grin as they quickly bowed. "WE'RE SORRY, SPIRIT, MA'AM!" they shouted before taking off in a sprint.

"There. That ought to teach those punks to show their ugly faces around here." With a pleased smile, Ichigo turned back to the post where the little ghost girl stood, her body hiding behind the post. "Sorry about all that, we'll buy you some new flowers tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement, holding the vase to my chest. "I'll bring this by with the new flowers. That way you can keep the original vase that was left for you." I assured her, putting the memorial in my backpack so it wouldn't get broken or lost. I was happy to see a smile on her face as she looked between Ichigo and I.

"Thank you for coming to my defense. I think now, I'll be able to rest peacefully." Her voice was light with joy as she watched us.

"No problem." Ichigo and I answered in unison, bringing forth a small giggle from the girl. "After all, you deserve to rest in peace." Ichigo finished with a wave as he turned to leave. I gave the girl another smile and a ruffle of her hair before leaving with my friend.

"Rest happily now!"

Sneaking a peak at my orange haired companion, I couldn't help but admire the way he cares for people, both living, and dead.

Kurosaki Ichigo, a 15-year-old high school student. His family runs a medical clinic and, for as long as we could remember, Ichigo had always been able to see the spirits of the dearly departed. We aren't sure why, but we think the clinic is what draws them to him, seeing as his family care for the welfare of the living. He doesn't like telling others about his gift, his hair gives him enough grief, but Ichigo and I are close. I wasn't sure when I began seeing the spirits. When I was younger, I used to think they were imaginary friends until I got older. When Ichigo found out we shared something, he confided in me about it. Now, I was the only one outside his family who supports him in his quest for helping the dead.

Looking to the sky once again, I take note that night had fallen during our little encounter with the skaters. I could imagine Mr. Kurosaki's reaction to our late arrival and the chaos that would take place.

"Ne, Ichi?" I called, breaking the silence. My gaze never left the stars, but I felt my friend's gaze on my face. "Do you think that my dad was around when I was younger?" I suddenly asked.

A somber feeling fell over us as Ichigo thought of a response. "It's possible. Maybe he was there during your birth, and we just never knew." He answered carefully. It made sense. From what Mom had told me, my dad looked forward to seeing me for the first time. She said that Dad had always wanted a kid of his own. That he was the one to name me before he died.

An arm snaked around my shoulders, bringing me in for a comforting embrace. Looking towards my friend, I could see his eyes looking forward. "Don't think too much on it." He told me. I tilted my head in confusion. Seeming to sense my question, Ichigo elaborated. "Your dad wouldn't want you crying over him. Especially after you did something good for someone else." Ichigo finally looked at me when he finished, our feet never stopping.

"What're yo-" I stopped my question when I felt something warm trail down my cheeks. I was startled at the feeling. Quickly bringing a hand up, I wiped my tears from my eyes. I hated when I would cry, it made me feel weak and vulnerable. I detested the feelings it brought, especially if I was with Ichigo or Tatsuki. I could never figure out why, but I always cried after seeing the dead or thinking of my dad. I would always get the feeling of helplessness, like I could have done something more to help them, or that there was simply something about the man I've never met that I simply forgot.

After a few minutes of walking, I was finally able to get my stupid tears to cease just as we walked up to the Kurosaki Clinic. It had gotten darker by the time we returned and the entire time, Ichigo remained by my side.

"Thank ya, Ichigo." I spoke softly. I was happy to have this hot-headed carrot top in my life. He was almost like a big brother to me with the way he's watched over me all these years.

He removed his arm from my shoulders, only to replace his hand on the top of my head, once again messing up my hair. "Damn it, Ichi! Why do ya always have ta do that?!" I shouted in surprise, my eyes wide from the sneak attack.

I got a laugh in return. "Come on, Rei. Karin and Yuzu will be happy to see you again."

Grumbling swears of revenge, I followed him into the Kurosaki home. He pulled out the key to the door before motioning me inside. Slipping off my shoes at the entrance, I made my way to the door to the rest of the house.

Once Ichigo had removed his shoes, he walked up beside me. Since I was in front of him, I took the liberty to open the door first.

"We're home!" we shouted.

The door wasn't even completely open when a leg connected with Ichigo and I. I was knocked off my feet and sent flying towards the dinner table, my head connecting with the leg of the table. A shadow fell over my body as I laid there. Looking up, I was met with the blank stare of Karin Kurosaki and the concerned face of Yuzu Kurosaki. They were Ichigo's younger sisters, twins to boot.

"Rice?" Karin asked, holding her chopsticks towards me. Karin was the older twin of the two with short black hair, a trait from her dad, and a bored look permanently on her face.

"Rice." I replied, accepting the food offered.

"Are you okay, Rei-nee?" Yuzu questioned in a panic as she helped me off the ground. Yuzu was the youngest child of the family. She played the mother role around the house when I'm not around. She has short light brown hair cut into a bob, reaching her ears. Her large brown eyes always seemed to make me want to hug her.

"I'll live. Your dad just needs to learn not to hit us as soon as we get home, though." I assured her, moving to steal Mr. Kurosaki's place at the table as well as his food as payment for kicking me.

Ichigo, being heavier than me, was knocked off his feet and onto his back. His legs had flipped over his head, leaving his ass in the air.

"You let your guards down~! Always stay alert when you two enter a room when you're late for dinner, again." came the cheerful voice of Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father. He was a man in his forties with short black hair and a short beard. Mr. Kurosaki wore a yellow Hawaiian shirt tucked into a pair of black trousers. Over his shoulders, he wore a medical coat.

Ichigo recovered after I did, getting to his feet and glaring at his father. A tick marked formed over his brow in annoyance as he growled out, "Come on! Is that any way to welcome your own son and daughter figure after they just risked their lives to help a spirit find peace?!"

Mr. Kurosaki pressed his face against his son's in retaliation. "Oh! So, it's the ghost's fault now is it?! I suppose it was ghosts that left your room a mess?! When are you going to show some discipline?!" he countered.

Before we knew it, the two of them had begun throwing punches in rapid succession. From my spot beside Karin, I was able to hear the boy's attacks as the older twin and I continued to eat our dinner. I should be offended that Mr. Kurosaki kicked me, but I had been a victim of his surprise attacks before so they didn't really bother me.

Yuzu, the youngest of the family, always being the peacemaker of the five of us, shouted at them in hopes of ending their little squabble. "Hey, stop the fighting, you two! Come over here and eat your dinner!" Bless that girl and her patience for her family.

"Let them fight. More rice for us." Karin told her sister, holding out her rice bowl for another serving.

"Yeah, Yuzu-chan. You know that those two are going to be fighting for a while. No point in letting your hard work go to waste." I supplied, setting a plate of dinner aside for my orange haired friend. I knew how the fight would end anyway, it always ended the same way.

"That's not very nice, Karin, Rei-nee." She answered back in a scolding tone.

Turning around in my seat, I watched as the boy's ran at each other again, fists raised and aimed for the other's face.

Ichigo landed his first, throwing his dad back and into the farthest wall from us. "I got to tell you, Dad, for any normal, healthy, high school kid, a seven o'clock curfew is totally uncool!" he yelled, pointing to his downed parent.

I raised a brow in boredom as I watched a blue wisp form beside my friend.

I was about to mention Ichigo's new friend when Karin beat me to it. "Ichigo. Speaking of uncool, you have a new one." She told him, not even turning away from her dinner.

Ichigo looked at us questionably for a moment before I pointed to the shape of a businessman floating pitifully behind him. "Got a little somethin'."

"Huh, hey?!" he gasped in bewilderment and slight disgust as the ghost man floated just an inch away from him. "How long have you been there?! Take a hike will ya, ya damn pest!" he began to swat at the ghost like he was a fly that Ichigo wanted to kill. It looked really funny seeing a human boy dodging and trying to hit something that was already dead.

"Ugh, I'm so done." Karin spoke up, placing her bowl back on the table so she could gaze at her brother from over her chair. "Poor Ichigo. Dad or ghosts, it's always something. How do you deal with them, Rei?" she asked, earning a shrug of confusion from me.

"I think him and Rei-nee are kind of lucky to see ghosts. I can kind of sense their presence, but that's about it." Yuzu chimes in happily.

Karin casts a sideways glance to her sister, "I don't see what the big deal is with ghosts, I don't even believe in them."

I look over to the older Kurosaki sister with a brow raised. Yuzu gasps in shock at her sister's claim, as if the notion of not believing in ghosts was crazy. "Karin! I don't get how you can say something like that! I thought you also had the power to see them?!" she questions in surprise.

I could hear a small ding as Karin turned to face us in a deadpanned voice. "I'm in permanent denial. Just because I can see them, doesn't make me believe in them."

I gave a nod as I crossed my arms, pointing a finger in the air as I agreed with her words. "It's true, Yuzu-chan. I once thought that they were imaginary friends until I grew older."

Yuzu and the ghost has looks of disbelief at our words. The ghost looked like a frozen icicle as he drifted behind the youngest sibling. "So cold…" he muttered in disbelief.

I set my attention back on Ichigo when he sighed in annoyance. "Like my dinner…" he grumbled sadly. I was about to call out to him when his dad came swooping in from nowhere. Literally nowhere and kicked his son's feet out from under him, making Ichigo kiss the ground of his living room.

"You let your guard down~!" Mr. Kurosaki sung. He had planted his butt on the center of Ichigo's back, his leg around his throat, and his arm twisted backwards into the air. I cringed at the awkward positon my friend was forced into. I could see the pain twisted onto Ichigo's face as he moved to throw his father off of him.

I gave a sigh as I watched the two. I gathered the plate I had set aside for Ichigo and made my way around the fighting duo after giving Yuzu a kiss on the head and a head pat to Karin. "Ichi, I'll be waiting in your room!" I called as I made my way to the stairs. I could hear Ichigo and his dad arguing some more as I reached the door I was looking for.

Opening the door, I walked into Ichigo's room and towards the desk on the side of the room. Once I had his food where he could find it, I dropped my bag on the ground at the foot of his bed, already knowing I would probably be spending the night with how late it is. Sitting at the foot of his bed, I waited for my friend to come upstairs.

I didn't have to wait long before Ichigo arrived. Throwing his bag on his desk chair, he gave a sigh of defeat before plopping himself on his bed, his feet on my lap. He had a face of thoughtful look as he stared at the ceiling.

"I saved you some dinner, Ichigo." I spoke softly, looking over to my friend.

"Thanks, Rei." He whispered back as he sat up to reach his food. He began to eat as he leaned his back against my shoulder and got comfortable. "There really have been a lot of them lately."

"Yeah."

"Think it means something?" he asked, for once sounding as lost as I felt.

I looked over to him at the thought. "Other than people dying more than usual? I have no clue." I answered with a shrug. "But, whatever it means, I'm sure we can handle it. I mean, we've always handled whatever the world has thrown at us."

I heard him give a chuckle as he finished his dinner. "I guess that's true. We've never backed down from a challenge."

"Damn right we haven't."

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I awoke the next morning to the sound of Ichigo calling my name. He was shaking my shoulder, probably trying to wake me up for school.

"Wake up already, ya sloth." He grumbled.

I grumbled in annoyance that my sleep was being disturbed. Peaking over the blanket I had borrowed, I glared at my friend. "Don't wanna." I spoke before ducking under the blanket again. I heard a sigh of annoyance before I was lifted from the futon I was occupying and thrown over Ichigo's shoulder. "Why~?" I whined, weakly struggling to escape his hold.

"Because if I don't get you out of bed, we'll be late for school." He retorts, dropping me in the girl's shared room where I keep all my spare clothes.

"You didn't have to drop me, you jerk." I huffed, rubbing my sore bum from where I landed. Ichigo had walked over to a small dresser in the corner of the room where all my stuff was kept, pulling out a spare uniform and dropping it on my lap.

"Yeah, yeah. Just be ready by the time we have to leave." He mumbled, walking out of his sister's room. Resigning myself to my fate, I began to dress for school in my uniform. I even found my hoodie and my ribbon folded on Yuzu's bed. I gave a small smile at the gesture. Even though I wasn't related to them, Yuzu always tried to make sure I was part of the family, even going as far as calling me her big sister. Not that I minded.

Grabbing the jacket and ribbon, I made my way to the bathroom where I brushed my teeth and hair before walking downstairs and to the family room. I had left my contact case at home and so didn't have any contacts to wear since I threw out mine.

I saw the twins and Ichigo by the time I got there. Ichigo had a piece of toast in his mouth as he watched the news. I turned to see smoke on the screen, people gathered around the scene. My eyes narrowed at the familiar setting. "That's by my house. Which means it's close to here." I pointed out to my three friends. "Ichi, what happened?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the screen.

"Seems like it was an earthquake." Karin answered for me. She was sitting at the table drinking some tea and eating breakfast.

"An earthquake?" I mumbled to myself in thought. I shared a look with Ichigo. Neither of us believed that this was a normal earthquake. I shook my head to dismiss the thoughts for now.

"Oh, Nee-san." I heard Yuzu call. Looking over to her I saw her making her way to me. "Want me to do your ribbon?" she asked, holding out her hand.

I gave a smile to the girl before handing over the piece of cloth. "Sure, Yuzu. I would love the help." I told her. Handing my jacket over to her brother, I knelt on the ground where it would be easier for Yuzu to reach my hair. Yuzu's eyes lit up as she took the ribbon and began to put it in my signature hairstyle. Once she was done with my hair, I stood from my place on the floor before reaching out and hugging the little girl to my chest. "Thank you, Yuzu."

Said girl giggled with joy before heading back to the kitchen. She came back a second later with a pair of bento boxes. "I made you guys some lunch!"

Accepting the bento, I placed mine in my bag. I paused for a moment when I saw the vase from the night before. Turning back to my childhood friend, I reminded him of our little side project. "Ichi, we need to go get the flowers."

Nodding his head, Ichigo grabbed his bag before heading to the door. "Well, Rei and I are heading out." He called to his sisters. I grabbed my own bag and threw it over my shoulder before giving Yuzu a kiss on the head and a head pat for Karin.

Once our good-byes were over with, Ichigo and I slipped on our shoes and made our way to the flower shop.

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The walk was quick. Before we knew it, we had made it to the shop and purchased some new flowers. Ichigo currently had the vase in his bag while I carried our lunches.

During our walk to the memorial, we passed by a street that was sectioned off, police scattered around to ward off any wandering citizens from passing through.

Suddenly, a heavy feeling pressed down on my chest, causing me to gasp in shock. Ichigo must have heard me since he turned in my direction. "You alight?" he questioned. He must have noticed that something wasn't right when I didn't respond. He gripped my shoulders in a gentle but firm hold. "Rei." He called, "What's wrong?"

I could only shake my head. I didn't even know what I was feeling, I just knew that it was nothing good and yet, I felt like I knew it. "Something doesn't feel right, Ichigo." I looked up to meet his eyes, brown clashing with green. "We need to see if something happened to that girl." I whispered. Taking hold of his hand, I began to tug him towards where the girl was last seen.

When we got there, it was silent. There were no people on the street, no animals running around. But most importantly, there was no ghost girl. Ichigo must have sensed that something was wrong as well when he called out, "Hello?" only to get no answer.

"Are you here? We brought the flowers!" I tried my luck at calling out to the little girl. When she didn't reply, the heavy feeling intensified.

I suddenly jerked my head up. A horrid sound, like the morph of many different screams filled the air, making my heart speed up. "Did you hear that?" I asked my friend. My only response was Ichigo taking off in a sprint. "Wait! Ichigo!" I called after him, my legs carrying me in the direction he took off in.

We ran until we reached an intersection out of the neighborhood. There were people everywhere, heading in various directions. I could hear the screeches getting louder and louder. It almost seemed as if whatever was making that sound, was getting closer.

The thought terrified me.

I spotted Ichigo just ahead of me. Running to his side, I grabbed his hand in mine for reassurance that I wasn't alone and that my best friend was here.

The air was so tense I could have cut it with a knife.

That was, until the explosion.

Screams filled the air as the people all scurried away from the explosion in every possible direction. I looked up to see large claw like markings on buildings. _'What the hell is causing this?!'_ my thoughts were running a thousand miles per hour as Ichigo and I finally laid eyes on the creature responsible.

No, not creature, but monster.

"Whoa, what the hell's that?!" Ichigo asked in disbelief. I wasn't sure what I was seeing with the smoke here, I just knew that it was bad.

"HELP ME!"

The familiar voice of the ghost girl rang out, her small form running towards us in fright. Her eyes were filled with tears as she ran. My eyes widened in fear for the girl. Thinking fast, I let go of Ichigo, ignoring his call, and raced towards her. When she was just a foot away, I reached out and pulled her towards me, covering her smaller body with my own. "We have to go, NOW!" I shouted to Ichigo.

Seeing what I was doing, Ichigo began to lead us away from the monster and into the crowd. "Run, hurry!" he shouted once we were beside him. I took a chance and looked back.

Big mistake.

The giant monster was chasing us! Looking back to the girl, I made the decision to carry her. Heaving her up in my arms, due to being a spirit, she was extremely light, and held her tightly to my chest. "Hold on to me!" I felt her nod her head against my shoulder, her body trembling.

"What is that thing?!" she called as we ran.

"I don't know!" Ichigo called back. I could tell that his mind was trying to reel in the situation. I couldn't blame him.

I couldn't think of anything more when my foot caught on a piece of rubble that fell in my way. I could feel my body racing to the ground. Twisting my body, I made sure I took the brunt of the fall. The wind was knocked from my lungs as I looked up to see the monster approaching us. Ichigo had appeared at my side in an instant, taking the girl from my arms. "Come on! We have to move!" he shouted, forcing the girl behind him before reaching for me.

Before he could pull me up, the monster lunged for us. For a moment, I thought I was going to have to push Ichigo and the girl out of the way.

Time seemed to slow down when I saw a black butterfly fluttering between the monster and us. A flash of black appeared before my eyes before a person took shape. It was a girl dressed in black, she had jumped between the monster and us, her body in the air. From what I could see, she had short black hair and a katana strapped to her left hip.

An uneasy feeling pooled in the pit of my stomach at the sight of this newcomer. Something about her brought forth a new feeling of fear. I wanted to hide from this girl and wanted Ichigo to be as far away from her as possible, even if she was here to fight this thing.

In one swift movement, she drew her sword in front of the monster, her blade slicing through the face of the thing in one swing. Landing just in front of me, she readied her weapon once again. Blood burst from the wound, angering the monster as it lunged towards us once again. Leaping into the air, she brought down her sword, the blade cutting the head of the monster in half. The monster screeched in pain before its body began to disintegrate. Once she was sure it was dead, the new girl sheathed her sword. She turned to look at Ichigo for just a second before walking off, time seeming to return to normal.

I looked to my friend to see the same confusion I felt. Who was that girl? What was that thing? These were things we wanted to know as civilians began to flood the scene, murmurs of question filling the air. Looking behind Ichigo, I noticed that the ghost girl was gone. I locked eyes with my friend as he came to help me from the ground.

"You okay?" he asked, looking me over for any injuries.

I shook my head as I grabbed for his hand again, intent on going to school and forgetting that attack. "We're gonna be late." I whispered to him. His hand gave mine a squeeze, his way of telling me that he was right here beside me. That, that monster didn't hurt him.

The rest of the day was filled with thoughts of that monster and that girl in black.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

I had gone through my day with thoughts of the attack in my mind. My friends were worried, that much I could tell. Tatsuki and Orihime tried to help, but really, how could they? From the way the other pedestrians acted, they couldn't see the monster that Ichigo and I saw. They didn't see the girl we tried protecting nor did they see the swordswoman who fought the thing off.

I had brushed off my friends' concerns, feeling like this was something only for Ichigo and I, seeing as we were the only ones to see.

Now though, I laid in my room in thought. My lights were off, save for a small lamp on my desk, leaving my room with an earie feeling. _"What was that thing that we saw?'_ I turned on my side, my hand under my pillow as my mind raced with questions. _'And that girl…'_ my mind raced to the image of our savior. She looked to be our age and slightly shorter than me. She killed that monster as if she had done so for years.

"Rei?"

A voice broke me from my thoughts. I looked over to my door to see a woman in her early-thirties with long black hair and warm hazel eyes. She was dressed in an orange shirt with a pair of purple capris pants. Her light skin almost seemed to blend in with the light grey of my walls. Her name was Kamamoto Haru, my mom.

Sitting up from my position, I faced my mother. "Something wrong, Mom?" I asked. Usually, my mom would call me if she needed something. She hadn't been in my room since I was in middle school.

She smiled as she walked into my room, turning on the light as she did so. "You seemed to be troubled, sweetheart." She took a seat on the bed, directly at my side as she faced me. I could see the concern she had, I could always read my mom as well as I could read Ichigo.

I released a breath and shook my head. "Um… I can't even explain it myself. I don't even know what I saw." I struggled for words. Why was I so hesitant to tell her about what happened? Was I afraid of my mom calling me crazy? Sure, Mom knew of the ghosts Ichigo and I see, had been supportive of our choices. But I could always tell that she feared us getting too involved.

I felt a hand stroke my head, long fingers combing through my hair. Looking over to her, I saw nothing but my mother's love. "Mo-"

I stopped why train of thought when I felt a strange feeling overcome me. My eyes widened at the familiar feeling. For some reason, it felt like I knew this feeling, like I had known it my whole life.

"Rei. What's wrong?" I could faintly hear my mom's voice as I searched my brain for the source of the feeling.

My head snapped up as I heard something fall to the ground, the sound of glass braking reaching my ears. Looking over, I could see a picture on the ground by my bookcase. I scrambled away from my mom and towards the fallen picture. Reaching out, carefully as to not hurt myself, I pulled the photo up, revealing the picture of my middle school graduation. The glass had cracked over the section of Ichigo and I. while the part with me and my friends was in perfect condition, Ichigo had been separated from us. The crack broke just between Ichigo and I, giving the illusion that I was no longer hugging my friend.

That's when the strange feeling clicked in my mind. "Ichi…" that was it! For an unknown reason, I was feeling Ichigo's presence from here. Quickly standing from my place, I turned to face my mom. "Mom! I have to g-"

A flash of light and a cloud of smoke filled my vision, my mind going blank. I could faintly hear my mom talking with someone. I couldn't tell who, though I felt like I knew them. I felt my body go limp, the photo once again falling from my hand and to the floor.

A pair of strong arms circled around my body, catching me just as I was about to hit the ground. A hand came to stroke my head in comfort, a manly voice whispering soothing words to me. Another flash of light appeared before my eyes.

The last thing I heard was my mom scolding whoever was holding me.

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 _BEEP BEEP BEE-_

My hand reached out from my blankets and slammed down on the noise. Dragging myself from my bed, I heard my mom calling me from the kitchen.

"Rei? Are you up sweetheart?" she called. The smell of pancakes wafted past my nose as I trudged my way through my morning routine.

Once I was dressed for school with my backpack by my side, I made my way out of my room and down the hall to the family room. "I'm up if you feed me." I grumbled. I hated mornings with a passion. I dropped my bag on the couch before walking over to the dining table. "When did the freeloader leave last night?" I asked, referencing my Uncle. He had come over for dinner after I got home from school, claiming that his place was feeling too cramped. How could it be cramped when it was only four people living there? And I doubt my little cousins take up that much space.

My mom laughed at the nickname. "Now, Rei. Don't call your Uncle that. And he left shortly after you fell asleep." She replied, placing a plate of pancakes in front of me with a bottle of syrup and a few slabs of butter. "Now eat up before you're late for school." came her reminder as she too joined me at the table.

Not needing to be told twice, I dug into my breakfast. "Have I ever told you how much I love your cooking, Mom?"

"All the time."

I nodded in approval. "Good. Cause I can't cook and would probably die if you or Yuzu weren't around." I stated as if it was the most important thing in the world. The last time I tried cooking, I almost burnt down our kitchen. Needless to say, I never touched a frying pan again.

Looking to the time, I saw that I has half an hour before school started. Quickly shoving food in my mouth, I dumped my dishes in the sink before grabbing my bag. "Got to go Mom!" I stated, kissing my mom's cheek before hastily throwing on my shoes and running out the door.

"Be safe, Rei!" I heard her call back.

I decided to take a shortcut to school so I couldn't be late. Sure I didn't mind getting in trouble for dying my hair blonde or wearing colored contacts. But like Ichigo, I didn't want to be an academic flunky. I have dreams too, you know! Anyway, I had cut around houses and streets as I made my way to school. I hadn't heard anything from Ichigo yet saying I was going to be late. I assumed that he was busy dealing with his dad again.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

When I made it to the school grounds, I heard whispers and murmurs from my classmates. I was a little confused at what they could all be gossiping about until I heard Keigo.

"I heard a truck crashed into Ichigo's house!"

Stopping in my tracks, I allowed the words to process. A truck… crashed… into Ichigo's… house? I stared at the brunet for a moment longer before the words finally clicked in my mind. I felt like my eyes could have popped out of their sockets with how wide they were.

Running over to the flirt, I tapped him on the shoulder. "Asano-san, what do you mean by a truck?" I asked.

Keigo turned to face me, a smile lighting up his face. "Oh, Rei-chan! Yeah, apparently, a truck crashed into the Clinic last night." He explained. A thoughtful look passed over his face. "I wonder if Ichigo got crushed…" he mumbled.

I could feel my eye twitch before looking over to the giant of our group. "Think he's okay, Chad?" I asked my friend. If anyone was going to tell me the truth, it would be him.

"He's fine." Came his firm reply. I released a breath before nodding to him in thanks. Waving to my friends, I made my way into the school and towards our class. I was puzzled to see even more people gathering around our classroom door.

I groaned in annoyance. "What now?" I questioned. As I walked closer, I heard students say something about a new student. This caused me to quirk a brow in confusion. New kid? This time of year? I shrugged off the thought as I pushed my way to the front, ignoring the grunts and complaints from my classmates.

First Ichigo and now a new kid? Can't I get a break already?

After finally pushing my way through the students, I finally caught sight of this popular new student. She was short, that much was obvious. She wore the standard uniform, no modifications done to it, unlike my own uniform. Her hair was short, reaching just past her shoulders in a bob with the ends flaring out. Her book bag was in front of her, her posture rod straight and proper. Did this girl live in the Edo period or what? I think she noticed me staring when she turned away from talking to Tatsuki to face me.

I had a bad feeling about this girl the moment we made eye contact. Her violet colored eyes locked with my natural green. I didn't wear my contacts since I had run out of them. Strangely, I got the feeling that I would want to buy more as soon as school ended. There was something about her that made me feel uneasy.

The new girl had a faint look of shock and surprise as she looked at me, almost as if she had seen a ghost. _'Heh, not likely.'_ I gave an inward chuckle. When she turned to completely face me, it was like her whole demeanor changed. A polite smile spread across her face, her eyes closed in greeting. And, _'Is that girl sparkling?'_ I raised a brow because, yes, she was sparkling. She gave a curtsey as she gave her introduction.

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I could tell that Kuchiki and I were not going to get along. I glared at the girl as I gave my own greeting, my uneasiness masked with a face of annoyance.

"Kamamoto Rei, Kuchiki-san."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Aaaand END! So there is chapter 1 of the story. Man I am on a role with all the writings.**

 **So what did you guys think? Can you guess anything about Rei? What do YOU think is going to happen? So much mystery. And now that Rukia is thrown into the mix, how will this change Rei's relationship with her friends and family?**

 **Stick around to find out more.**

 **JA NE~~**


	3. Chapter 2

As I watched my friends crowd around the new girl, Kuchiki Rukia, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was bad news.

I tried not to dwell too much on Kuchiki as the teacher finally made her way into the classroom. Setting up for the day, she began the day by stating, "Alright everyone. Today, we have a new transfer student." She looked somewhere in the back of the class before motioning to the front of the room. "Why don't you come up and introduce yourself?"

Footsteps were heard from behind me, making their way to the front of the classroom. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Kuchiki pass me, her own violet eyes watching me as she passed. I quirked a brow at the girl, not understanding her at all. Her gaze turned back to the front of the room just as she was in front of me.

' _The hell…?'_

When she reached the teacher's desk, she turned to face everyone, that sparkling smile in place. "Hello everyone. My name is Kuchiki Rukia, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Kuchiki gave a bow after her little introduction. Her eyes once again lock with mine, her smile never fading.

It seemed that Ochi-Sensei was pleased with the introduction as she scanned the room for a place for the new brat. Her eyes landed on a seat directly behind me, next to Ichigo's desk. "Why don't you sit in that empty spot by the window, Kuchiki-san." Ochi-Sensei spoke, pointing to the mentioned desk.

I sighed in relief when the brat didn't stare at me this time as she walked to her new desk.

Stupid new kids and their strange staring.

I grumbled curses under my breath as our teacher finally began to call role for the day. I only really heard when she called my name.

"Kamamoto Rei?"

I locked eyes with Ochi-Sensei, my brow raised as I gave an impish grin. Raising my hand, I answered with, "Over here, Sensei." Earning a sigh of disapproval from the older woman. What can I say? As long as I was passing my classes, I didn't care what other trouble I got into.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?"

When there was no answer, I twisted around in my seat, searching for my best friend. Scanning the faces of our friends, I mentally ticked off everyone who was here. Chizuru? I found the red head in her desk with little doodles on her notebook. Tatsuki? She was in her desk by Orihime, who was also here. I found Chad's looming figure easily with his large size. Keigo and Mizuiro were in their usual spots, the brown-haired idiot looking at the new girl with hearts in his eyes. Everyone was here.

Except Ichigo.

I tilted my head in confusion, my brows knitted together in thought. It was unusual for Ichigo to be absent without telling me. Or at least Yuzu or Mr. Kurosaki would tell me what was going on.

Turning back to the front, I pushed my friend's absence to the back of my mind as I pulled out my things for the day. I would text Ichigo during lunch and find out where he was.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Lunch rolled around sooner than I thought. Since Ichigo wasn't here today, I decided I would sit with the girls today. "Hey Tatsu, Orihime-chan!" I called to the two girls. When I had their attention, Chizuru, and the other girls, I can never remember their names, all looked over.

"Yeah, Rei?" Tatsuki asked. She walked over to me with Orihime in tow.

Scratching my cheek with a nervous laugh, I looked over to my other childhood friend. "Mind if I join you guys? Ichi isn't here and I don't think I could handle being around Asano- san without him there to help out." I explained. I tried to make my eyes as large as they would go, my lip jutted out in a pout. "Pretty please, Tatsu-chan?"

My black-haired friend laughed at my innocent act, not falling for it in the slightest. Her laugh was contagious as she began to pound on my back. "Of course you can sit with us!" she laughed. While I loved this girl to death, I don't think my back can handle the abuse. When she stopped, she quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me from my desk. "Come on!"

Orihime, Tatsuki, and I all made our way out of the classroom, their lunches in their hands. We passed the time with idle chit chat as we walked down the hallway and to the courtyard.

Looking to me, Tatsuki asked, "So Rei, did you bring your lunch?"

"Nope." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "I was going to steal Ichi's lunch but he isn't here." I retorted with another pout.

"What about you, Orihime? Did you bring your lunch?" she turned to our orange haired friend.

Orihime smiled at us as she gave a large nod of her head. "Yup, leftover taiyaki style ramen with wasabi and honey." Tatsuki and I both gave an unsure look to the big busted girl. Orihime sure had a strange taste in food. How has she not died from all the weird things she eats? "Would you like some, Tatsuki-chan? Rei-chan?" she asks innocently.

Tatsuki's face looked a little green at the thought of eating whatever Orihime made. So, with an apologetic look, Tatsuki declined.

"I think I'll pass, Orihime. Besides, my mom made a large breakfast, so I'm not really hungry." I made up an excuse on the spot. No need to hurt the girl's feelings. She was too nice for that to happen to her.

She was about to say something else when she was suddenly knocked over. Orihime let out a yelp of surprise as she fell to the ground, her papers and bag scattering to the ground. I wasted no time in crouching down and helping my friend get her things in order. "You okay, Orihime?" I asked in concern.

"Oh it's you, hey, Orihime." A familiar voice said in greeting. Turning my eyes to the one responsible for knocking over Orihime, I instantly deadpanned at the sight of my, previously, absent friend.

Tatsuki instantly jumped up to defend our friend. "Ichigo! You knock her down and that's all you can say?! What the heck's wrong with you?!" she yells. She had gotten so close to Ichigo that he had to back away from her in order to see us properly.

Not wanting to anger the fight loving girl any more than he already had, he looks over to Orihime. "Uh, sorry about that. Um, you gonna be alright?" he asks the down girl. I looked over to Orihime to see her give a nervous smile as she nods her head. A hand suddenly appeared in our field of vision followed by a, "Here," as Ichigo offered a hand to Orihime. When we looked up, Orihime's eyes widened as a small blush appeared on her face. I tried not to laugh at her reaction to Ichigo's face being so close to hers.

She suddenly jumped up from her spot as if she had never fallen to begin with. Her hands were raised in front of her as she waved off Ichigo's help. "Oh no! T-that's alright, really! I-I-I-I have-ve-ve… volleyball! That's right!" she stuttered out so quickly that I had to try piecing together what she was saying. Before we could inquire what she was talking about, Orihime had turned tail and began to run away from us, singing "Volleyball~!" the entire time.

When she was out of sight, I heard Ichigo ask, "What's the matter with her?" as he stared at the spot our strange friend once stood.

Tatsuki and I shared a knowing look, teasing smiles appearing on our faces. "What could it be? Maybe it was your ugly mug." Tatsuki teased. She then turned to our male friend as she asked, "By the way, why are you so late? It's time for lunch already."

Ichigo gave her a strange look before turning away. "I'll tell you later." Was all the explanation he gave before he began to walk away from us.

Tatsuki and I were left in the hall with more questions than answers. Reaching out a hand, Tatsuki helped me from the ground. "Think 'e's hidin' som'thing'?" I asked without looking at my friend. She could tell something was amiss. Ichigo never just left us like that before; at least, not without a reason.

I could feel her eyes on me as I spoke. She could tell I was annoyed by the change in my speech. I always tended to change the way I spoke depending on my mood. Everyone always assumed it was a quirk I had and just learned to deal with it. Even I wasn't sure why I did it. Maybe I picked it up from somewhere when I was younger?

"Who knows." She answered, her eyes still on me.

"We bettah go find Or'ime 'fore she hurts 'erself." I muttered, heading in the direction of our runaway friend. I would find out why Ichigo seemed so different. And I bet it had nothing to do with a truck.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Everyone was back in the classroom before lunch even ended. Tatsuki and Orihime had instantly left my side and retreated to Chizuru and the other girls. I took the time to head over to the boys for an update on what I missed. I found Ichigo at his desk with the others standing around him.

"Hey, Ichigo, I heard a truck crashed into your house last night." Keigo spoke. He was leaning against the desk directly in front of Ichigo while Mizuiro and Chad stood beside the carrot top.

"Pretty much." Ichigo breathed out.

Mizuiro was the next one to speak. "So, did you clean it all up yet?"

I got to the desk just as Ichigo gave a, 'are you serious?' look. "What? Are you kidding? It's gonna take forever!" he answered as if it was the most logical answer. I took my place by sitting on top of Ichigo's desk as I listened to my friends. What? I had nowhere else to sit or stand, so I found a seat.

"Need any help?"

Ichigo and I looked up to the one who spoke, not at all surprised to find Chad. Ichigo took one look at our friend's size and declined his offer. "That's… okay…"

I laughed at Ichigo's response. "Don't worry, Chad. Ichi just likes to pretend he's as strong as you." I teased my orange haired friend. I hugged the large Mexican around the waist to show my mirth, earning a 'Hey!' from Ichigo.

"Yeah, Chad!" Keigo started, looking up to our friend, "You could end up bringing the whole house down, you know?" he teased.

I laughed again at my friends. They were all idiots all right. But they were MY idiots.

Footsteps broke me out of my laughter. Turning to the source of the sound, I could feel my annoyance flare once again. I masked the negative feeling with my cheerfulness as I continued to hug Chad. All day this brat had been staring at me and I didn't like her.

Standing behind Ichigo, was none other than the resident newbie, Kuchiki Rukia.

"Hello! You're Ichigo, aren't you?" she asked in that polite voice of hers. Her eyes were locked onto Ichigo as he turned around to the one who spoke to him. His face morphed into one of recognition and shock as he stared at the petite girl. This caused another furrow of my brows as I watched their interaction. "I'll be sitting next to you from now on. My name is Rukia." She introduced.

Ichigo jumped from his desk in horror, bumping into me and causing me to lose my hold on Chad. "Wah!" I let out a yelp as I went crashing to the floor, my head connecting with the unforgiving ground. "Ouch…" my head was spinning from the impact. Glaring over to Ichigo, I let out a, "Wha' the hell, man?!" that shit hurt. When I sat up, I saw that Ichigo and Kuchiki were staring at each other.

"I-it's YOU!" Ichigo exclaimed, pointing at the girl as he backed away from her.

"Hey, Ichigo, what's wrong with you?" Keigo asked our ill-tempered friend.

"You know each other?" Chad inquired as well.

' _That's what I want to know.'_ I thought, glaring at the duo from my spot on the ground. Ichigo acts like he knows her, and yet, Kuchiki is playing dumb. Something was going on and Ichigo was telling me nothing. I could feel my temper flare as I pulled myself from the ground, ignoring the hand Mizuiro had offered.

"Of course, not!" Kuchiki answered, her eyes still on my orange haired friend. "We've never met before. Isn't that right, Ichigo?" her tone took on a slight warning as she spoke. I tuned out the boys explaining to Ichigo that the brat was a new transfer student. I narrowed my eyes as I watched her offer her hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you." The familiar way she spoke to him spoke volumes. She knew him and wanted to pretend she didn't. I didn't care about why she was so intent on hiding it, but I wouldn't sit back as my friend was pulled into something that could get him hurt. And I feared this girl would bring just that to Ichigo.

Ichigo looked to her hand in fright, as if the appendage would suddenly come alive and attack him. I could have sworn her eyes took on a darker look when Ichigo backed away from her.

"Oh, no! Rei-chan!" I heard Mizuiro call. Tearing my eyes away from the little pest, I was prepared to snap at my friend when I saw what was in his hand. "It tore!" his eyes were downcast with shame as he held his hands out to me, showing me what he held.

My eyes widened in horror as my hands flew to my head, noting the absence of the one item that I cared about more than anything else. "My ribbon!" it was only now that I noticed my hair falling into my eyes, obscuring my vision. I felt bare without that ribbon. Snatching the cloth from Mizuiro's hands, I stared in disbelief at the three pieces that USED to be my ribbon.

I couldn't look at any of my friends. I could feel their eyes looking between my face and the tattered pieces of cloth in my hands. I could feel my eyes burning with tears I refused to let fall. I would not cry in front of them. I would not cry in front of HER. Not because of this.

"Rei."

The deep voice of Chad called out to me. I hesitantly looked at my much taller friend through my bangs, my green eyes searching his face. Without words, I could understand what he was trying to convey. He wanted to make sure I wouldn't break down. He was worried about how I would react to this new development. His large hand suddenly landed on my head, causing my eyes to widen at the sudden action. I accepted the gesture with gratitude. Reaching up a hand, I patted the much larger hand on my head.

"Yeah… I'm fine, Chad." I gave a shaky sigh as I gently placed the pieces of my treasure in my pocket. "I'll just take it to my Uncle and see if he can fix it." I assured him. Seeming to accept my response, Chad ruffled my hair before removing his hand. Looking to my other friends, I could see the horror on Ichigo's face. I guess he felt guilty for knocking me over. "Hey, stop looking so down, Ichigo. It's just a ribbon after all." I told him. I gave a smile that felt fake even to me, a stab of pain running through my chest. "We should get back to our desks before Sensei comes back." I warned the group. Without making eye contact with my friends, I turned around and made my way back to my desk, no longer in the mood for snooping or acting out.

And to think, I still had work today.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

After school had ended, I packed up my bag and prepared to head home to change for work. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I flipped up my hood, hiding my face from view. I didn't have time for orchestra practice today and thus had to skip. Not that I was in the mood to go.

Besides, if I was late for work, I was dead.

"Damn freeloader. Picking on me just because he's my boss and my uncle." I grumbled under my breath as I made my way to the shop I worked at. I had avoided my friends as soon as the bell had rung, not wanting to deal with them today.

Walking out of the school building, I was only able to catch a glimpse of orange and black run past me, drawing my attention. Halting for a moment, I turned and saw Ichigo dragging the new girl away and towards the back of the school. Once again, I felt annoyance at the thought of the black-haired transfer student. I don't know why I dislike her so much. When I was around her, I always had the urge to run away from her or to fight her with everything I had until she left. The feelings were so intense that they scared me. Never had I had feelings like this to someone before.

And the sense of familiarity I got around her. I felt like I knew her from somewhere, only, I was positive I had never seen this girl in my life.

Whatever the cause, I could tell that this girl was nothing but trouble.

 _BZZZ! BZZZ! BZZZ!_

I pulled out my phone at the persistent buzzing. Looking to the screen, I saw the familiar number of my Uncle's shop. I raised a brow at the number. Why were they calling when they could see me in a few minutes? Shrugging off the thought, I pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello? Rei speaking, what do you want?" I asked.

"Where the hell are you, old hag?!" a young voice called out in annoyance. From the sound of it, it was a little boy.

My eye twitched at the sound of my younger cousin. "Wha' did ya call meh, brat?" I ground out through clenched teeth. I love the kid due to him being family, but I was going to strangle him one of these days. Why couldn't he be like his sister?! "An' I just got outta school, Jinta. Give meh a minute an' I'll be there." A sigh of exhaustion left my throat at the annoying brat.

There was some shuffling and shouting heard from the other side of the line. I could hear my two Uncles scolding the little pest and Jinta yelling back before giving a squeak of fear. The noise stopped and a deep voice replace Jinta's younger one.

"I apologize, Rei. Take your time getting here." The voice told me. I loved the sound of this voice, having helped sooth me when I was a little girl and had nightmares.

The reassurance brought a smile to my face. Continuing my walk, I let out a small laugh. "Thank you, Uncle Tessai. What would I do without you around?" I asked, fully knowing I wasn't going to get an answer.

There was more shuffling as the phone was passed around once again. This time, a cheerful voice took over the line as they addressed me. "Rei-chaan~!" my last uncle called. "Sorry for Jinta's rude behavior! Please don't be angry with us!" he shouted, causing me to raise a brow in bewilderment.

"Um, Uncle Kisuke?" I called. "What is going on over there? Did you or Jinta break something that Ururu or Uncle Tessai are going to have to fix and I have to pay for, again?" I asked my hyperactive relative. Sometimes I just can't leave home or else Uncle Kisuke or Jinta would break something we needed for the shop.

I heard a gasp of horror from the other end of the line. "Why, Rei, I thought you loved us!" he shouted, causing me to wince at the noise. Why was my family so damn loud all the time?!

I sighed in defeat. "Yes, yes. I love you guys with all my heart and soul, Uncle Kisuke." I replied. And it was the truth. Kisuke was the one uncle I told all of my nightmares to when I was a child. I never wanted to burden my mom with my problem and thus, I told my uncle instead.

I was passing a park when I saw the new girl walking out of it, a thoughtful look on her face. I thought back to the school; wasn't she taken to the back of the building with Ichigo? How did she get here so quickly?

"Rei, are you listening?"

It was a split decision that caused me to act. "Sorry, Uncle. I'll be at the shop shortly, there's something I have to do first." I didn't wait for him to answer as I disconnected the call. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I made sure my hood was in place before making my way over to the girl. "Hey, Kuchiki!" I called out.

Kuchiki whipped her head over to my direction so fast, I thought she was going to get whiplash. "Kamamoto-san?" her voice took on one of confusion as she watched me. When I approached her, I could see her take on that sparkling personality once again. "Is there something you need, Kamamoto-san?" she asked.

When I finally reached my prey, I studied her for a few moments. "Why don't we walk together for a little while. I have work soon so we can make this quick." I offered. When I turned away from her, I spoke in an almost friendly voice. "Besides, I want to get to know my new classmate." Tugging at my hair in a show of nerves, I gave a weak smile to the girl. "I don't want our earlier interaction at lunch to be the only one between us."

I saw her give a nod of understanding, a smile in her own lips. "Of course. I was under the impression that I was not well liked." She admitted. When we began our walk once again, Kuchiki just slightly behind me, she spoke again. "Was there something on your mind, Kamamoto-san?"

In a nonchalant manner, I shrugged my shoulders as I answered her. "I just came to give you some advice as a classmate and potential friend." I could sense her confusion as she waited for me to continue. "I wanted to tell you about Ichigo, Kuchiki." My voice dropped from its previous friendliness.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The air around the two girls stilled at the blonde's words. The shorter of the two faltered in her steps, puzzled at the other's words.

"What about Ichigo?" Rukia asked, her voice taking on an edge as she addressed Rei. She studied the girl in front of her with suspicion as she watched the human girl's back.

Rei's hands clenched in her pockets Rukia's question. Spinning on her heel, the taller girl turned to face her shorter counterpart. "I will only tell you this once, Kuchiki," she spat out the name as if it had been poison in her mouth. "If Ichigo ends up hurt because of you," Rei took a threatening step towards Rukia, a protective fire in her eyes. Her emerald colored eyes locked onto violet as they both glared at the other. "I would kill ya m'self. 'E's the closest I got to a brotha. I ain't 'bout to let ya get 'im hurt."

Rukia widened her eyes at the change of speech. One minute this girl was speaking like everyone else and the next, her tone changes. The voice she used, it was enough to send shivers up the raven-haired girl's spine at the familiar speech. Narrowing her eyes, Rukia, too, stared back. "I have no intention of letting Ichigo be hurt." She spoke with finality. She stared into the eyes of the threatening blonde. It was then that she noticed the color of her eyes.

They were a dark shade of green.

A familiar green.

She inwardly gasped at the feature, finally taking in the rest of the girl. From what she had seen, her face looked exactly like _hers._ Her eyes, though holding animosity, looked just like a girl long since dead. An image of a smiling black haired girl entered her mind. She was standing with her father in the barracks.

Rei suddenly grabbed her by the front of her shirt, lifting her from the ground to be at eye level. Rukia was jostled from her memories as she once again looked into the eyes of her past. "If I find out tha' som'thin' happened to 'im, your head will roll, brat." Rukia was suddenly dropped from her place, the sudden action stunning her. When she looked up, she noticed that Rei had turned her back and began to walk away, not before leaving with one final warning.

"I'll beh watchin, Kuchiki."

Rukia could only stare at the retreating form of Kamamoto Rei in thought. Though she knew she could handle her own in a fight, human or Hallow, she knew that fighting that girl would only result in her loss. There was also the fact that she resembled _her_. Looking back to where the blonde once stood, Rukia was hit with a feeling of nostalgia. How long had it been since they locked eyes? Since _that night_?

Shaking her head at the thought, she cast away the memories. For now, she had Ichigo to worry about. _She_ was dead. This girl only had her face, nothing more. With these thoughts in mind, Rukia began her walk back to the Kurosaki home.

' _She almost has her personality.'_ She thought offhandedly. _'The way she protects him seems so much alike.'_

Her thoughts kept going to the strange girl in her class. Never before had she had a human react that way to seeing her, even if she was in a Gigai. She was unsure of how to go about this situation without making the girl or Ichigo suspicious of her. Shaking off her thoughts, Rukia watched the streets before crossing the heavy traffic.

When she looked to the sky, she saw that the day had quickly vanished during her run in with Kamamoto Rei. Walking down a few more streets, the dark-haired Shinigami arrived at her destination just as the sun set, leaving her in the dark night.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It had been hours since I had my little chat with the new girl. I was pleased when I saw that she took my threat to heart. I meant every word I said to her.

No one hurts my brother and lives.

"Onee-chan?"

I snapped my head over to the timid voice of my younger cousin, Ururu. Her long black hair was tied up into two pigtails on either side of her head with a piece of hair falling between her eyes before parting over her nose. She had large violet eyes and a permanent blush on her cheeks. Her uniform was a plain white shirt with the shop logo printed on the front and a long pink skirt with large white polka dots.

"Is there something the matter Ururu-chan?" I asked the smaller girl.

Ururu nervously shook her head as she clutched her broom to her chest. I smiled at the girl, I always loved her timid nature. She was so innocent and kind, unlike Jinta.

"Is Jinta making you do the work again?" I raised a brow as I watched Ururu furiously shake her head. This girl really was bad at lying. I smiled again as I watched her turn on her heel and run back out to the front of the shop. I gave a small laugh as I stood from my place at the counter at the back of the shop. I had been sitting here for hours and I really needed to move. I smoothed down the fabric of my own work shirt and made my way out to the front. I could hear yelling outside from the annoying brat.

Making my way to the porch, I found Jinta pulling on Ururu's hair with his broom raised in the air above her head. I could see the tears in her eyes as she tried to fend off her violent younger brother. Sighing, I pinched the space between my eyes as I watched the scene. When would the brat learn that he can't pick on her like that?

Deciding that Jinta wasn't going to stop, I raised my eyes to the scene again. Looking around my area, I saw a few pebbles on the ground along with a few pieces of trash. Reaching out, I grabbed a handful of pebbles before looking to the two younger children again. Selecting my ammo, I tested the weight before I raised my hand and snapped my arm forward.

"OUCH!" came the painful cry of Jinta. He had released Ururu as he clutched his bruised head as he glared at me. "What the hell was that for?!" he shouted in anger.

Giving the boy a deadpanned look, I walked over to the two kids before looking directly to the troublesome red head. I quickly reached out and secured Jinta by the back of his shirt before hoisting him into the air. I ignored his shouts of protest as I threw the boy over my shoulder and making my way back into the shop, making sure Ururu was alright as I did so.

"Yeah, yeah, Jinta. I get it already. Now, shut up." I grumbled out in annoyance. As I made my way through the shop and into the house portion of the Urahara Shoten, I tried ignoring Jinta.

Once I made it past the shop, I meandered my way through the house and towards the kitchen where I knew my Uncle Tessai would be. I found him in front of the stove as he prepared tea for Uncle Kisuke, his large form taking up most of the space. "Uncle Tessai!" I called, gaining the man's attention. Bringing the troublesome red head from my shoulder, I held the flailing child out to my uncle. "Jinta was bullying Ururu again." I admitted, dropping Jinta to the ground.

"She's lying!"

I scoffed at the boy as I turned to return to the counter. "I'm going back to work." I mumbled as I threw a wave over my shoulder. I didn't bother to stick around as I heard Jinta attempting to defend against Uncle Tessai's scolding.

Once I was sure I was going to have no other interruptions, I took my place behind the register. I smoothed out the large shirt I wore with the store logo as I placed my chin on my palm, waiting for some poor sap to come into the shop. It seemed to be a dead day except for the odd person here and there. Some were looking for my Uncle Kisuke and others seemed to be searching for something in the shop.

"Rei!" I snapped my head around to the sound of Uncle Kisuke calling me. I found him peaking his head in the front door of the shop with a strange look on his face. Raising a brow, I inquired about what he needed. "Mark down that we have a special order. I'll handle the details." He spoke with authority.

Giving him a strange look, I simply nodded my head as I pulled out a form from under the desk for the order I needed to place. I marked down the basics of what the date was, who was authorizing the order and where it would be delivered. After that was done, I pulled out a folder and placed the form inside, intent on handing it to my Uncle when he came to relieve me of my job for the day.

"Done, Uncle Kisuke!" I shouted with a grin. I saw the older man give his own smile before ducking back out of the store. Probably to talk with the customer some more.

Pulling out my phone, I saw that it was almost 10 o'clock, almost time for my shift to end. I noticed that I had a few missed messages from Orihime and a message from Yuzu. Raising a brow, I decided to look at Yuzu's message first.

 _5:26 PM_

 _Onee-chan! Dad wanted me to ask you if you could help us with cleaning the house this weekend. Ichigo was supposed to ask you today._

I smiled at the little girl. How could I say no? And of course that stupid carrot top would refrain from asking me. He hated bothering me with this sort of stuff.

 _9:52 PM_

 _No problem, Yuzu! I don't mind helping around the house. And don't worry about Ichi, I'm sure he just forgot._

After I had sent my message to the youngest Kurosaki, I skimmed through the various messages from my bubbly orange haired friend. There was a message asking if I would like to have dinner at her place with her and Tatsuki tomorrow and a general message asking of we wanted to hang out. I let out a chuckle at the girl's antics. Quickly sending a confirmation to both her messages as well as when I get out of work tomorrow, I closed my phone before putting it back in my pocket.

"Anything interesting, Rei-chan?"

I jumped from my place behind the counter at the sudden sound of my Uncle's voice. Staring wide-eyed at the older blonde male, I couldn't help but feel my face flush with embarrassment at being caught on my phone and being scared. Turning my face away, I felt slight annoyance when I heard the familiar sound of Uncle Kisuke pulling out that stupid fan of his as he giggled at my misfortune.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I puffed out my cheeks as I answered the man. "It was just Ichi's sister asking for some help. And Orihime wanted to ask me something for tomorrow after work." I replied.

He laughed again as he pat my head, my face heating up even more at the treatment. "Well, work for today is over. You can close shop now." He said, his voice light with mirth. "Since it's late, you can stay in your room tonight. Your mother would kill me if I sent you home at this hour."

Looking at the man from the corner of my eye, I could see his face softening. It wasn't often that I got to stay with my extended family and I had missed their company, even if Jinta was annoying. "Will Uncle Tessai make dango tonight?" I asked.

The hand never left my head as he ruffled my hair, causing me to squeak at the action. "Sure. Anything for my favorite niece." He chuckled.

"I'm your only niece."

"That makes you the favorite."

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Staying with my family was one of the things I had missed as I was growing up. I used to be here at the shop all of the time when I was a child, only for that to change the older I got. I had to focus more on school while still trying to spend time with my friends.

Now here I was, getting ready to head to Orihime's place since I was going to be spending the night with her and Tatsuki.

"Do you have everything, Rei?" Uncle Tessai asked from his place in the doorway.

Looking over to the large man, I found him with his arms crossed over his chest with his ever present sunglasses perched on his nose. Smiling at him, I gave a big nod of my head before turning back to my backpack. "I just need to run home before I meet up with Orihime. I need to drop off all of my work and school things so that I can get my overnight bag." I explained to my silent uncle.

A grunt of approval reached my ears before I heard the shuffling of feet, indicating that Uncle Tessai had left me to my own devices. Once I was sure I had all of my things, I threw my bag over my shoulder after I pulled my hoodie over my body. My hand absentmindedly played with my hair, my stomach churning at the thought of the ribbon I had left with my beloved Uncle Kisuke for repair.

I decided not to dwell too much on the thought as I focused on making my way out of the shop after hugging and wishing my family farewell. Once I was out of the Urahara Shoten, I began my trek back home to the lovely two story house I resided in with my mom.

The day was nice, there was a slight breeze in the air and there were people rushing about the streets. I felt at peace walking the streets of the city as I made my way home. I would always feel safe knowing that not much crime ever happened in our city. Sure, there were a few muggings and hit and runs, but the case was usually solved shortly after it started.

"Oh, Rei-chan!"

I paused in my walk to turn to the source of the voice. Running up to me with a large smile on her face was none other than Orihime. The bubbly girl was dressed in a purple button down shirt with a small yellow flower on her left breast. Her top was paired with a pale yellow shin length skirt with orange flowers and a pair of sandals. In place on either side of her head was her standard hairclips.

Raising a hand, I waved to my cheerful friend. "Hey, Orihime. Did you get my message yesterday?" I asked when she came to stand beside me.

"Oh, yes." Her face broke out into a large smile as she folded her hands behind her back. "Are you going somewhere?" her head tilted to the side as she studied the bag I had thrown over my shoulder. Her large grey eyes widened in curiosity.

"Oh! I was just heading home to drop off my work clothes and to get a bag for when I go to your place later." I explained. I could feel my own face break out into a smile as I tilted my head in the direction of my house. "If you want, you can accompany me home and then we can head out." I offered.

Orihime gave a light laugh as she bobbed her head in agreement. "I'd love to! We have to go shopping for dinner tonight." Came her sheepish request.

It was my turn to laugh as I began walking again. "No problem. But I'll cook dinner tonight, Hime-chan."

The two of us laughed as we made our way to the bus that would take us near my house, our plans for a girl's night being shared between us.

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After Orihime and I made it back to my house, I had dropped my things in my room with my laundry in my hamper. Once I had finished with that, I went around and grabbed a spare change of clothes for my sleepover at Orihime's apartment. Tatsuki would be joining us for dinner and then would be returning home, thus leaving Orihime and I alone for the night.

When I finished gathering my things, I scribbled a nope for my mom telling her of my late night plans and to feed the cat when she returned home. I had thrown my bag over my shoulder before the two of us made our way to the grocery store for tonight's dinner.

I will swear that I had only left her side for a maximum of ten minutes before Orihime walked back up to me with a bag of groceries and a large smile on her face. I could feel my face blanching at whatever strange concoction that girl would come up with.

"Let's go!"

Her cheerful shout only made me hang my head in defeat. I didn't want to die of food poisoning but I didn't have the heart to say 'no' to the bubbly orangette.

The two of us walked out of the store and towards her apartment, mindful of anyone who we might bump into. We chatted about what we would do once we finished dinner and about normal girl things.

Just as we were crossing the street, a loud blaring sound screeched in our ears. Our eyes turned towards a blue minivan as it sped towards us.

"ORIHIME!" I dropped my bag to the ground and pushed my friend out of the way. I could feel a pressure on my side and back as I protected Orihime. The pressure seemed to push us out of the way of the oncoming car, causing the two of us to hit the ground with a painful 'thud'. I looked up from my place beside my friend to see her on her side, her long orange hair fanned around her and her bag of groceries discarded on the ground.

The sound of running feet brought my attention to two oncoming figures. I paid them no mind as I focused on the girl in front of me.

"Hey!" a familiar voice caused me to snap my eyes in the direction it came from. I found the forms of Ichigo and the new girl, Kuchiki running towards us. "Orihime! Rei!" Ichigo's dark brown eyes narrowed with worry as Orihime and I sat in our places on the ground.

Ichigo was wearing a purple long sleeved shirt underneath a white tee shirt. The shirt had a black neckline with two lines circling his arms. On the front was a rectangle with three stripes, two purple and one red. He wore a pair of black jeans with a black belt secured around his hips and his usual pair of sneakers.

Kuchiki on the other hand wore a blue and white dress. The top of the dress was blue, with the color ending just under the v cut neckline and her short sleeves filled with the same color. On her feet was a pair of white flats. I paused for a second at the clothing; they looked similar to an outfit I had bought Yuzu a few months back.

Orihime recovered quickly as she snapped her eyes to her crush. A look of confusion passed over her features as she took in the two teens. "Ichigo?!"

"Ichi? When did you get here?"

"Did you two just get hit by a car!?" Ichigo's voice seemed to take on a higher pitch as he surveyed the two of us.

I shrugged my shoulders as I stood from my place. My side and back gave a twinge of pain as I stood, causing me to grimace. "It would have hit Orihime if I didn't push her. Sorry about that though, Orihime." I apologized to the girl. I looked at Ichigo to see his face keep its concerned look as he walked over to us.

"Are you guys gonna be okay?" I could see my best friend look between Orihime and I, searching for any sign of pain. Knowing he would freak out, I kept the pain from my side and back a secret from him. No need to have Ichigo drag me off to his dad for medical help.

I looked over to Orihime as the girl sprung up from her place on the ground. She had her usual smile in place as she knocked on her head. "It was just a little bump on my head. I'm fine, I swear!" to prove her point, Orihime twisted and stretched her body to show she was unharmed.

I sighed internally in relief. I would have hated to have to tell Tatsuki that Orihime got hurt. I looked up to see Ichigo staring at me, the same question floating around his head. Waving my hand, I gave a reassuring smile to my friend. "I'm fine, Ichi. Besides," I dropped my hand to tuck it safely in my hoodie pocket, "I've taken worse beatings from Tatsu-chan." I assured.

I watched as Ichigo gave a sigh. "Are you sure you're okay? Where'd that car go that hit'cha?" he asked, looking around the area for the vehicle that almost squished us.

Orihime and I shared a look before looking in all directions with no sight of the minivan. Coming up with nothing, the two of us pointed in the direction it was driving as we gave sheepish smiles. **"It drove away…"** we admitted.

I could hear Ichigo give us a sigh of frustration. "Orihime! Rei!" his voice took on a reprimanding tone as he glared at us.

It was at this point that I noticed Kuchiki staring at Orihime, her gaze intense as she stared. I raised an eyebrow at the girl. Orihime must have said something as Kuchiki suddenly crossed her arms and made eye contact with my female friend.

"That's right, and who are you?" came her rude demand. I could feel my ever present annoyance at this girl flare at her rude behavior towards Orihime. I was about to tell her off when Ichigo suddenly spun around to whisper something at her. Kuchiki's violet colored eyes changed from the hard stare to an innocent smile as soon as he spoke. She then looked back at Orihime and I with her little sparkles fluttering about her head. "Oh, of course, Orihime! How are you?" her eyes closed in a smile as she curtsied at us.

I simply glared at the girl, not at all falling for whatever tricks she was playing. Orihime, though, seemed oblivious to everything as she, too, curtsied at the raven haired girl. "Oh, I'm great! Thank you." Came her cheerful answer.

I cast a glance to my childhood friend to see a tense smile on his face as he watched the interaction. I ignored the conversation between Orihime and Kuchiki, instead opting to watch the shortest girl with a calculative look, my eyes shifting between her and Ichigo. I paid extra attention when I saw her eyes widen, for gaze once again on Orihime.

"How did you get the bruise on your leg?" her voice had taken on an unusual tone as she watched my friend.

My eyes snapped towards the bubbly orangette as my eyes zeroed in on the bruise Kuchiki had pointed out. _'It looks like something grabbed her leg. But the only one around was me and I pushed her.'_ I allowed my mind to imagine possibilities on how she could have gotten that injury, unaware of the stare Kuchiki threw in my direction and the twinge of pain my body gave.

"Um, what's the matter, Rukia?" Orihime's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I found the mentioned girl kneeling before Orihime's bruised leg. Her hand was on her chin in thought as she leaned in to catch a better look at the injury. "Is everything alright?"

It seemed that her thoughts were broken as well when she noticed that everyone was watching her. "Ah, right. Well… You take care now, girls!" Kuchiki's eyes widened in embarrassment as she quickly stood from her kneeling position, her hands clasped to her chest and a wavering smile in place. I gave a low snicker at the puzzled look on Ichigo's face, as if he couldn't believe the girl's changing attitude.

"You girls want me to walk you home?" Ichigo offered, ever the gentleman.

I would have screamed yes if only to get him away from the strange new girl in class. Instead, Orihime declined his offer, stating that we would be alright getting back. "See ya, Ichi!" I waved to my male friend as Orihime and I crossed the street, watching for any wayward cars.

I was faintly able to hear Ichigo say that we needed to be careful before we reached the other side of the road. I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see Kuchiki staring intently at us, her hand once again raised in thought. The two of us locked eyes for a second time today, causing her eyes to widen. Narrowing my own, I mouthed a warning to the girl before turning back to catch up with Orihime.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Remember my words._

Rukia stared at the retreating forms of Rei and Orihime as the two disappeared from sight. She knew the blonde did not like her; she made it apparent the day they met. Her threats about Ichigo's safety were still fresh in her mind as she thought of the girl.

"Let's go, Ichigo." She called to the carrot top.

The sun had begun to set by the time the two had made it by the river. Ichigo had stared ahead as he aimlessly walked in the direction of home, his worry over his friends pushed to the back of his mind.

The two walked in silence as Rukia pondered the events. The orange haired girl, Orihime, if she remembered, had an injury that Rukia knew all too well. And Rei was hiding a similar injury from what she saw when the girl ran to catch up with her friend. She decided to ask Ichigo a few questions in order to find out more of about the two girls. "So, those girls." She started, looking at the Substitute Shinigami. Hey eyes slip over to the carrot top as she made her thoughts known.

Ichigo seemed puzzled at Rukia's apparent curiosity in his friends. "Who? Rei and Orihime?" he inquired.

"Are you close to them?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo looked away at the question. "I'm not really close to Orihime. I barely know her and we don't really talk much. But she's friends with Rei and a buddy of ours from the neighborhood. I see her around I guess." He answered. "Although…" his face took on a thoughtful expression as his time became serious.

"Yes?"

"Three years back or so, her older brother, Sora, was in this terrible accident and died at our clinic." He explained. Ichigo's eyes glassed over at the memory of the night he met Orihime. He could remember the sirens as his family rushed around the clinic, everyone on high alert. "He was in a car wreck. He was the only family she had." His voice became somber as he remembered that night. "I never realized that she was the girl crying that day. I only found that out just recently. Rei was the one to tell me when she found out I never knew."

"How in tune to the Spirit Realm were you?" Rukia broke Ichigo from his memories as she asked her question.

"Huh?" the orange haired boy turned to look at the petite girl with a puzzled expression as he answered her. "Not as much as I am now. I mean, it's really only recently that I've been able to fully see and communicate with the Spirits."

"And the other girl?"

Ichigo had to raise a brow at Rukia's questions. "Rei's been a friend of mine since we were babies. We spent our entire lives together growing up." A small smile appeared on Ichigo's face at the fond memories of the temperamental girl. "She grew up with just her mom, her dad having died before she was born so she's never met him. Her mom works night shift so she's usually home by herself or she stays with us. She's more of another little sister rather than my friend. Rei was even there when Karin and Yuzu were born; she's been with us that long."

Rukia asked a question that had been on her mind since she met the blonde girl. "What's so special about that ribbon she carries?"

Ichigo had to pause in his walk to look back at the raven haired Shinigami. His eyes hardened at the memory of the broken look on her face when the piece of cloth was destroyed. "That ribbon is the only thing she has of her father. He had wanted it to be the first gift she ever received from her parents. Having never met her father, Rei treasures that ribbon more than any other object she owns." Looking at the Shinigami, Ichigo raised a brow in confusion. "Why? What's up? What're you thinking?"

Rukia brushed off his questions as she strolled past the confused boy. "Nothing. See you later."

"Huh? Hey, where are you going?" Ichigo called.

The Shinigami paused to look back at the taller teen. "Back home." She stated as if it were obvious.

"Where's that?"

"You really want to know?"

Ichigo placed his hands on his hips as he looked away from the smirking girl. "I guess not…"

Her smirk grew as she replied with, "Then don't ask me." Before continuing in her way.

The orange haired teen could feel annoyance at the way Rukia acted, unaware of his childhood friend's own annoyance to the girl. Deciding to put the thoughts out of his mind, Ichigo began his own walk home.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Night had befallen the city. Children and adults all sat in their homes with family and friends. The Inoue residence was no different. Sitting in the living room with smiles on their faces were Rei and Orihime.

After the encounter with the car, the two girls returned to Orihime's apartment where Rei admitted to her friend about her own injury.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?!" the orange haired girl chided as she went to gather some bandages to help ease the swelling from the bruises. She pouted at her stubborn friend as she motioned for the girl to remove her hoodie and shirt.

The blonde complied, leaving her in a pink bra as she shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't want Ichi to freak out if he knew I was hurt. And besides, like I said, I've taken worse from Tatsu-chan when we were younger." While she felt bad for worrying Orihime, Rei didn't feel comfortable mentioning the injury in front of Rukia.

"Still. You should have said something sooner." Her friend scolded as she began to wrap bandages around her waist, careful not to agitate the injury.

Rei laughed at her friend. "I'll remember that." She redressed once Orihime had finished her task. She had decided to leave her hoodie off, leaving her in a black tee shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Her sneakers were in front of the door upon her entrance to the Inoue residence.

Both girls paused for a moment when the sound of the doorbell reached their ears, the light chiming alerting them to a visitor. Orihime quickly put away her first aid kit before dashing towards the door, a call of, "Coming!" leaving her lips as she opened the door. Her face broke out in a smile upon seeing her other friend, dressed in a black tee shirt with a white over shirt and cargo patterned pants. "Hi Tatsuki!" she greeted.

Tatsuki held out a container as she gave her own greeting. "My mom wanted me to bring some food for you and Rei. It's stewed beef and potatoes." She offered.

Upon hearing the word 'food' Rei had dashed into the kitchen in order to retrieve a few bowls. "I love you, Tatsu-chan!" was faintly heard as Orihime and Tatsuki made their way back inside. The blonde came back only moments later with a serving spoon and three bowls. "I put some rice in the rice cooker. It should give us enough time to heat up the stew while we set the table."

Tatsuki laughed at her friend's antics. "No problem, Rei." She passed her friend as she went to the kitchen to put the stew in a pot to heat up.

The girls chatted about their day with Rei mentioning her cousins and their annoying behavior. She talked about running into Orihime as she was making her way back from the shop and how the two had spent most of the day together. During this time, the stew had finished and the rice was served into bowls as Orihime grabbed some chopsticks for the three.

"This is delicious!" Orihime smiled as she ate away at her share of food.

"Your mom just saved me, Tatsu-chan." Rei commented.

Tatsuki laughed as she looked at their friend. "I swear, if I don't bring meals over for you to eat, you always end up cooking the weirdest stuff. Rei would have probably died of food poisoning if I hadn't stopped by."

"I never thought about it. You really think so?" Orihime turned her wide grey eyes to her black haired friend before looking to her blonde friend.

Both girls nodded their heads as Tatsuki answered. "Uh, yeah." As if it was the most obvious.

During dinner, Orihime recounted the encounter with the minivan and how she and Rei had been hit. She explained that Ichigo had appeared with Rukia to help the two and soon after they had parted ways.

Tatsuki had a look of astonishment on her face as she slammed her hands to the table. "What?! They were together?!" she screeched. Her eyes snapped to her silent blonde friend. "This didn't bother you, Rei? You've known Ichigo longer than anyone!"

Rei shrugged her shoulders as she tried not to think of that little tidbit. "They were walking together sure. I may not know HOW they know each other and frankly, Ichi isn't telling me anything, but I'm sure I'll find out." While she had said that, she wasn't so sure. It had seemed that Ichigo was intent on keeping his relationship with the raven haired girl a mystery.

Tatsuki crossed her arms over her chest as she heaved a sigh. "Man, who knew that Ichigo was such a smooth operator. I mean, honestly, he didn't even offer to walk you two home!"

Orihime jumped to the defense of her crush as Rei gave another shrug of her shoulders. "Oh! He did offer to walk us back, but I…" the orangette trailed off as a blush stained her cheeks, the space behind her transforming into a soft pink as little sparkles appeared.

' _Why is everyone sparkling? How are they doing that?'_ Rei questioned as she raised a brow at her friend.

Tatsuki and Rei could only blink their eyes as Orihime suddenly threw out an arm "I'm warning you champ! You better back off, I'm winning this fight!" she exclaimed, causing the two girls to jump away from their friend.

"Oi, Orihime! Wake up, you're daydreaming!" Tatsuki shouted at the girl.

Neither girl was aware of their third friend. Rei was frantically looking around the apartment, a dark feeling pooling in her gut. _'This feels the same as the other day with Ichi. When we went to help that girl.'_ Her green eyes scanned the room, her ears hearing anything but her friends' conversations. Her eyes widened when she felt the apartment shake.

Orihime and Tatsuki stopped their antics to watch the space around them. "Hey, what was that?" Tatsuki asked wearily.

Rei hugged her arms around herself, as the three of them looked to the entrance of the apartment. "I don't know, but I have a really bad feeling about everything." She mumbled so low only her friends could hear her.

Tatsuki cast a glance at her friend. She had never seen the usually headstrong girl this shaken. The only other time was in class when her treasure was destroyed.

The girls huddled together when the sound of a cracking whip filled the air, drowning the silence that had befallen them. Green, brown, and grey searched in every direction, trying to find where the sound was coming from. Just then, Rei heard a terrible screech, the sound chilling her to the bone, her blood running cold. She looked to her friends to find that neither of them had heard the sound.

"Did… you guys hear that?" she whispered to her friends.

Orihime and Tatsuki turned to see that the pink teddy bear Orihime had gotten from her brother had fallen to the ground, a large tear on his face. The orange haired girl gasped as she crawled over to her fallen keepsake. "Oh no! Enraku fell over!" she cried as she held the bear in her arms. "How did you get this big rip in your head?!"

The cry brought Tatsuki over to her friend's side. Rei stood from her place upon hearing sounds similar to explosions, Tatsuki and Orihime pausing. The green eyes girl quickly made her way to her friends' sides, her hands coming to grip Orihime's shoulder and Tatsuki's sleeve.

A tense silence fell over the three girls as they, too, began to feel uneasy.

Rei cast a glance behind her, her body freezing at what she saw. She came face to face with a being larger than her and her friends combined. The large Naga-like being was mostly black with its arms and the top of its tail a rustic brown. It didn't have a human face; instead it had a mask-like face. It was a white bone covering the face with its large teeth exposed. In the space where its eyes should be, there was an inky blackness with bright red glowing through the darkness. Framing the mask was long brown hair reaching just below the bottom of the mask. The most frightening thing about the creature was the large hole going through the center of its chest.

She never got to call out to her friends when the beast's tail slammed into her chest, her body flying through the balcony door and onto the balcony.

Tatsuki and Orihime called out to the girl, fear creeping into their veins as they watched their friend's body roll before she stilled. Orihime was the next to fall. The monster took one of its large hands and thrust it towards the orange haired girl's chest. Her grey eyes widened before she felt herself become detached, her eyes glazing over as her soul was ripped from her body.

Tatsuki watched in horror as her friends were attacked. She couldn't see what had attacked them and the thought terrified her. She was soon thrown off of her feet as a large pressure slammed into her torso. Her body was thrown back into the wall behind her, her back colliding painfully with the hard surface. A warm feeling covered her left shoulder, bringing Tatsuki's attention to the large gash present, blood flowing from the wound and dripping to the floor.

Rei could feel pain as she struggled to pull herself from the place she had landed. There was glass surrounding her body, some stained with her blood. She could feel blood seeping into her clothes, could feel it slithering from her body and onto the concrete of Orihime's balcony. She looked to her right arm to see the limb covered in crimson. A scar, one she never knew the origins, ran from the top of her shoulder to her wrist, just before her hand. The tissue had shards of glass biting painfully into her flesh.

A scream of pain caused her to look back into the apartment, her eyes widening at what she was seeing. Tatsuki lay on the ground, her eyes wide with fear and panic as she held a hand before her. Her hand, so small in comparison, lay placed on the Naga's chest, the beast looming over the girl.

Rei saw the blood on the wall to her right, tracing the crimson path back to her prone friend. She scanned the room, her eyes landing on the still form of Orihime.

"Ori…hime…" her voice was small and weak, her mind fuzzy as she took in everything. Sliding her eyes over, she found another Orihime curled up in a corner, her grey eyes wide as she watched the monster harm Tatsuki. Rei felt tears appear in her eyes when she noted the long chain connecting the two orange haired girls. She had seen enough spirits to know what the chain meant. Though she didn't know the meaning of a chain connecting someone to a body, she didn't want to dwell on the topic.

Ignoring her own injuries, Rei shakily pushed herself onto her hands and knees, ignoring the glass biting into her skin. Not once had she looked away from the two girls even as she watched Orihime push the monster off of her friend. Pushing herself further, Rei pulled herself to her feet, her body swaying from the blood loss.

Her green eyes narrowed at the monster.

" _ **It's useless talking to her, Orihime. She can't hear us. She can't even see us."**_ The monster hissed at Orihime. The girl had tried to help her friend only to find that Tatsuki couldn't hear them. Nor could she see them.

"She can't, but I can!" Rei gave a cry as she ran towards Orihime's Spirit and Tatsuki. She didn't think when she pushed herself forward, her hands outstretched. Her hands gripped Tatsuki's shirt as she threw her friend away from the monster. She spun on her heel as she lifted the light spirit of Orihime and threw her away as well, leaving her in the path of the creature. In doing so, more blood began to flow, a small puddle forming underneath her. Her breathing became labored as she glared into those piercing red eyes. "I've 'ad enough o' ya hurting mah friends! Why don'tcha fight meh instead of a girl who can't even see 'er enemy?!"

" _ **You dare interfere?!"**_ the monster hissed in anger, his massive jaws opening in a snarl. The monster had his tail around the infuriating girl before she could blink. _**"Oh, yes. I remember you from earlier."**_ It taunted as it raised Rei to be level with his face.

Rei struggled against her binds even as she was constricted. "What the hell're ya talkin' 'bout?!" she spat. She suddenly found herself being held in the creature's hand. She could feel one of the monster's claws dig painfully into her back, earning scream of agony to be ripped from the girl's throat. Her mind briefly flashed to the bruise that appeared on her body when she tried to save Orihime from that car. _'He must have been the thing that pushed me!'_ her mind supplied. Rei screamed once more at the feeling of the Naga's claws ripping through the same injury it caused earlier, blood soaking through her clothes.

"Rei-chan!" Orihime screamed in horror as she watched her friend be ripped apart. The monster paused only for a moment to look at the girl. "Let her go!"

" _ **That hurts, Orihime. Would you really choose these girls over me?"**_ the Naga drew closer to the orange haired girl, its distorted voice sad.

"What do you mean?! How do you know my name?!"

The Naga raised its free hand; the hand covered in her friend's blood, and reached out as if to touch the frightened girl. _**"Has it been so long that you gave forgotten me?! That you have forgotten my voice?! It's me, Orihime!"**_ the monster almost pleaded with the girl.

"What are you talking about?!" Orihime shouted in fright, backing away from the hand inching closer to her. She could feel her gut churn at the sight of the blood dripping from the Naga's hand.

" _ **It makes me sad when you say that!"**_ the monster drew back its hand as if the rejection from the girl burned him. Pulling back its hand, the Naga made to strike at the girl with a scream of, _**"So very sad!"**_ in rage.

Orihime shielded her face as her eyes screwed shut, waiting for the pain that was sure to follow. It never came as a gust of wind pushed against her. When she opened her eyes, she almost felt like she was imagining things when she saw Ichigo standing in front of her. He was dressed differently from what she was used to seeing. Ichigo was dressed in a black Shihakushō with a large sword in his hand, the blade pressed against the palm of the Naga as he glared daggers into the being.

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Ichigo's arms strained as he held his Zanpakutō in front of him. He glared at the Hollow that held his childhood friend's limp body. He had reacted when he heard her agonized screams from a few blocks away, his body being pushed as he raced into Orihime's apartment. Ichigo hadn't thought when he jumped in to save Orihime.

He was pissed. Not only had he found out the identity of the Hollow, but he found out that the thing was after Orihime. Now, he was pissed that Rei and Tatsuki were hurt and bloody.

"I'm the one you want! Leave her alone and fight me!" he screamed as he pushed his blade farther into the Hollow's flesh, the monster being thrown back as blood was spilt from its new wound. The Hollow screeched in pain from the attack. With a roar, it slithered into a portal back into the realm of the Hollows, taking its prey with it. "Rei!" Ichigo shouted her name as he watched her vanish. "Rei…"

"Um, Ichigo?" Orihime called, drawing the attention of the Shinigami.

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw the girl looking directly at him. His body shook with anger and confusion. "H-Hey wait a minute! How the hell can you see me?!" the teen screamed.

Orihime stared at the teen in confusion, her still terrified eyes clouding with confusion. "Why wouldn't I be able to see you?" she asked.

It was then that Ichigo caught sight if the chain hanging from Orihime's chest, the links leaking back to her body laying a few feet from them. "No… it can't be! Then she's…!"

" _ **That's right! She's a spirit being now, in other words, Orihime is DEAD!"**_ the Hollow's voice resonated throughout the room. Ichigo searched the space for the creature when he saw the portal open in the wall, the same place it had vanished from. The Hollow appeared just seconds later, it's menacing red eyes staring at them.

"Where's my friend, you Hollow scum?!" Ichigo raised his sword and charged the beast, a cry of anger escaping his lips.

" _ **The little pest? Why, She's here!"**_ the monster held up the unmoving girl in front of him, her body being used as a shield.

Ichigo had no choice but to pull back his sword least he harm his friend. "REI!" his voice took on a darker note as he watched the Hollow wave her around tauntingly. Taking the hesitation, the Hollow threw the girl, her form crashing through Orihime's window. Ichigo wasted no time in diving out the window after her, his arms coming to pull her body against his.

Acidwire, the Hollow, took the opportunity to slither around the Shinigami, his large claws wrapping around the chain keeping Orihime tethered to this world.

Using his Shinigami abilities, Ichigo slid across the air, his friend cradled to his chest. He quickly placed an ear by her mouth, searching, hoping that she was still alive.

When he felt the faint puff of air leave her mouth, he gave a sigh of relief. Rei was alive, barely but alive. He turned his eyes back to Acidwire, his eyes narrowing in anger. However, his relief was sort lived when he saw the Hollow hold up Orihime, a threatening growl of, _**"Stay back!"**_ being hissed out.

Ichigo and Rukia stared in horror as the Hollow began to crush the spirit, the girl releasing a scream of pain. Ichigo couldn't dodge when Acidwire used his long tail to smack the Shinigami and human out of the air. Rukia could only watch as Ichigo curled himself around Rei's body as the two crashed to the ground.

"Ichigo! Kamamoto-san!" she screamed as she ran to where the two had fallen. Ichigo had taken the most of the fall, his precious cargo rolling out of his arms after they landed.

Orihime struggled to get out of Acidwire's grasp as she watched her friends. "Ichigo! Rei-chan! Let me go! I have to help them!"

Acidwire stared at the girl as she struggled. _**"Orihime… have you forgotten me?"**_ his distorted voice wavered as he watched the girl turn to face him, confusion once again in her eyes.

The shadows under the mask receded, leaving only grey eyes to stare sadly at the human girl. Orihime gazed intently into those eyes, a familiar face filling her mind. Her own grey eyes, the same grey as the Hollow, stared in shock. "Sora…? Is that you?" she weakly asked. Acidwire released the girl, placing her on the floor as he retracted his hand. "Are you really Sora, my brother?" Orihime asked again.

" _ **Yes, Orihime. It's me."**_

"You're lying!" Orihime accused as she backed away from the Hollow. "My brother was gentle! He would never do these things you're doing!"

" _ **I was so lonely."**_ Acidwire began, he stared at the girl in front of his as he began to speak. _**"You were beginning to forget about me, sister. A little more each day. After I died, you prayed for me every day, I watched you. It was your prayers and your thoughts that gave me peace. It relieved me of my loneliness."**_ He turned to hiss at his sister, _**"But after a year had gone by, things changed. You became friends with those girls! And then, I saw that you began to pray for me less and less. Then, when you entered high school, you stopped praying for me… completely. That's why… I was so lonely."**_

Ichigo and Rukia had just finished their lecture when Ichigo heard a small moan of pain. His eyes snapped over to where Rei had fallen, the pain in his head forgotten as he made his way over.

"I…chi…go…" the carrot top Shinigami knelt down beside his friend. He rolled her over to be on her side as to not agitate the large wound on her back. Her vibrant green eyes had opened just enough to catch sight of him. "Hime… Tatsu…?"

"Hey try not to talk, Rei!"

The girl only shook her head. She didn't know what was happening, not what that monster was, not what it wanted with Orihime. She didn't know how Ichigo had gotten here or why he was with Kuchiki. At the moment, she didn't care. Her friends were still in the apartment, the Naga with them and Ichigo was the only one who could help them.

Raising her head, Rei looked directly at her childhood friend. Her voice came out a little stronger, a sign of her mind waking up from the shock. "Ichigo… help… Orihime and… Tatsuki. Don't worry… about my injuries when that thing… is still in there… with them…"

"She's right Ichigo." Rukia spoke as she ran over to kneel beside the bleeding human. "That Hollow is still alive and could kill Orihime at any second." Her violet eyes trailed down to the girl before her. A wave of pity washed over her as she looked at the many injuries the girl had sustained. "I will help Kamamoto-san while you kill the Hollow."

Ichigo grit his teeth as he looked between Rei and Rukia. His eyes looked over his friend once more, his heart constricting as he saw her give a bloody smile and a nod of her head despite her pain. "I'll be fine… go!" she urged.

Ichigo gripped his Zanpakutō in his hand before dashing away from the girls. Rukia turned to look back at the girl before her. Her eyes locked with Rei's as she set about using a healing Kidō to stop the most of the bleeding. In her Gigai form, Rukia didn't have the means to heal her completely; only able to help just enough where the girl wouldn't die.

Orihime couldn't breathe. The monster, her brother, had been angered at her protection of her friends. Sora had begun to squeeze her body and constrict her throat in anger. He had declared that he would kill her!

" _ **I should kill you first! The way you've abandoned me, choosing those girls and Ichigo over honoring my memory! I'll kill you!"**_ Acidwire shouted as he continued.

"No you won't, you freak!" Ichigo's voice interrupted the Hollow as the large blade of the Zanpakutō pierced the flesh of Acidwire's tail. The corrupted soul screamed in pain and rage as he thrashed about the room, his hold being forced to release Orihime. The spirit dropped to the ground as she watched her friend repeatedly stab into Acidwire.

Acidwire reached out for Orihime once again only for his hand to be cleaved off by Ichigo's blade. The Hollow screeched in agony as blood poured from the new wound. Ichigo crouched before Orihime, relieved that she was catching her breath. "Let me ask you something, Captain Overbite." Standing from his place, his back facing the Naga, Ichigo asked in a low voice. "Do you know why big brothers are born first? There's a reason." Turning to face his enemy, Ichigo held his sword in his hand as he glared at the being. "They're born first so that they can protect their little brothers and sisters!"

Rukia burst into the room her eyes wide as she took in the scene.

Ichigo paid the girl no mind as he continued. "And here, you threaten to kill your own sister! Even a dead man," his grip tightened as he raised his head to scream at the Hollow, "Doesn't have the right to say that!"

Acidwire growled as he glared at the Shinigami standing before Orihime. _**"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! Orihime is MINE! I was fifteen when she was born. And I, alone, raised her when our parents abandoned us! To me, she has been more like a daughter than a sister! Orihime!"**_ his voice trembled as he called out to the orangette. The spirit looked sadly at her brother turned Hollow, his words ringing in her ears. _**"Come with me now."**_ Acidwire extended a hand to the girl, his demand hidden by the tone of a begging sibling. _**"Back to when it was just you and me! Happy together! If you come, then I promise I will spare these other souls."**_

The hidden threat rang in everyone's minds as Orihime stood from her place on the ground. She stared at her brother in fear and confusion. She had resolved to go with Sora if just to spare her friends. Orihime didn't want Tatsuki or Rei to be hurt any more than they were. Rei had defended her and protected her and Tatsuki and was almost killed for it.

Orihime had taken a step towards her brother when Rukia's voice stopped her. "Wait, it's a trap! You can't believe him because he doesn't have the feelings of a brother anymore!" her words were sharp as glass as she explained to the confused spirit.

"Are you sure?" Orihime quietly asked in disbelief.

It was at that moment that Acidwire, through the eyes of the human Sora, caught sight of the two snowflake hairpins clipped in Orihime's hair. His eyes widened, _**"Those hairpins!"**_ Memories of a time long since passed began to flood into Sora's mind. Memories of Orihime growing up and himself caring for her. Smiles passed between the two when Sora looked at his sister.

"B-Brother?!" it was as if a switch had been flipped in the Hollow. The distortion vanished from his voice, the shadows receding from his eyes, the urge to kill being forced to the back of his mind. A human scream ripped from the Naga, his lone hand clutching at his head in pain as Sora began to repeatedly ram his own head into the wall.

Rukia, Ichigo, and Orihime could only stare as they watched the Hollow harm itself in a fit of madness.

As quickly as the change happened, it reversed. The bashing, the screaming, and the trembling soon left the Hollow's body. The shadows once again filled his vision as the darkness corrupting his soul pushed the human part of him back.

" _ **Orihime… is…MINE!"**_ in the blink of an eye, Acidwire snapped his head in the direction of the trio before his body slithered and twisted in a dive for the human girl.

Ichigo raised his sword at the oncoming Hollow just in time to deflect the large jaws of the beast. The Hollow had opened his mouth in an attempt to devour the souls before him only to be met with Ichigo's blade holding him back.

"Orihime doesn't belong to anybody! And least of all," with all his strength, Ichigo threw out his hands, his Zanpakutō throwing the corrupted soul back. "To you!" the serpentine form of Acidwire crashed through the wall of the apartment, his body being thrown out onto the street below.

Before his body hit the ground, Acidwire took to the skies. His serpentine body twisted in the air as he flew away from the apartment.

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Rei watched from the ground, her wounds had stopped bleeding before Rukia had propped her against a wall and out of sight. Her green eyes locked onto the form of her childhood friend leaping from the gaping hole in the wall, his sword raised over his head.

But she saw the hesitance.

His reluctance to swing his sword gave the Hollow, she believed that's what her classmate had called it, the opportunity to twist his face to Ichigo. His jaws opened as acid spilt from his teeth, the deadly liquid heading towards her friend. Rei cringed at the painful howl her friend released when the acid burned his hand, causing him to fall from the air and drop his sword.

Pushing herself from her seated position, Rei shakily got to her feet. She wasn't in as much pain as she was before, but her wounds would have to wait. Her childhood friend was in danger as the Hollow turned to charge the disarmed teen, his jaws open as if to devour her friend whole.

Everything happened so fast. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched blood fly into the air. She was frozen in her place, her mind unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

"Ori… ORIHIME!" her voice conveyed the horror and fear she felt as she saw the Hollows massive jaws bite into her orange haired friend's shoulder. Rei could faintly hear Ichigo call out to their friend as he, too, saw the orangette block the attack with her own body.

Forcing herself to move, Rei pushed against the wall she had been leaning on. Her feet carried her clumsily towards her friend.

" _ **Orihime… why would you do that?"**_ the Hollow's voice wavered.

The bubby girl had her arms around the monster in a gentle embrace. "Sora… I had to save Ichigo and Rei-chan. Because this is my entire fault. The reason you're this way… it's because of me! Because I begged you not to leave me alone! That's why… you weren't able to find peace. It's all my fault!" Her admission caught her blonde friend's attention. Green eyes widened in shock at the revelation, her mind fitting the pieces together as she watched the exchange.

" _ **Orihime…"**_

' _It was… her brother…'_ Looking between Orihime and the Hollow, Rei found her eyes looking into the mask. She could see the resemblance between the Hollow and the man Orihime kept close to her heart.

"Ever since you died, I've had this feeling that you were watching me… Because I asked you to! Even yesterday. When that car was about to hit us, you pushed Rei-chan out of the way. You pulled on my leg to get me out of the way! We have these marks because you tried protecting us!"

Rei felt a sliver of gratitude towards the Naga. Releasing a small smile, she walked over to stand by Ichigo's side. "So that's why I was pushed. Because I was protecting Orihime, Sora protected the both of us."

Ichigo turned to see his childhood friend standing beside him. His eyes widened at her state. "Rei!" his voice shook as he stood to place his hands on her shoulders, keeping her steady as she kept her gaze firmly on the Inoue siblings.

The three of them looked up to see Orihime continue her speech to her beloved brother. "Then one day, I realized, that if I kept depending on you, that you would never be able to find peace." Her voice broke with her tears as she raised her head to look into her brother's eyes. "But if I showed you that my life was really happy, and that you didn't need to worry about me anymore, you could pass on." By now, her breathing had become labored, her wound taking its toll on the girl. But she pressed on, "I never dreamed it would make you sad and lonely. I would never want to do that to you, Brother!" Her body trembled as her pain and sorrow flooded her being.

Sora, Rei, Rukia, and Ichigo let out sounds of worry when the orange haired girl suddenly released her hold on her brother, her body falling to its side.

Deciding not to waste any more time, Rei pushed herself from Ichigo's hold before dashing toward her fallen friend. Despite her pain, she threw out her arms, just barely catching Orihime before she hit the ground.

Her arms wrapped around her friend, her body coming to shield her from any more harm. Rei's eyes snapped up to see the white mask vanish and reappear on Sora's face. His face contorted in fear and sorrow as he began to scream. His hand came to grip at his hair as his body thrashed around.

"Rukia, what the hell's happening to him?!" Ichigo shouted as he watched the scene. He had no idea what was going on and the thought unsettled him.

Rukia explained as she stared. "The human part of him is fighting the Hollow for control."

Ichigo and Rei turned to look at the raven haired girl as she spoke. "What are you talking about?" the blonde haired female asked. Her mind swam with the information her classmate was giving. She internally questioned how the shorter girl knew all these things. She also questioned…

Why it was so familiar to her.

Rukia looked between the Hollow and the girl who spoke. "Evidently this one didn't become a Hollow by choice. He must have been taken over."

"What do you mean by 'taken over'?" Ichigo interjected.

"A soul that is devoured by a strong Hollow is manipulated by that strong Hollow. And that Hollow desires _your_ Spirit Energy." Rukia's eyes turned to look at Ichigo as she stressed the Hollow's intentions. "It took over this poor soul planning to attack you! It hoped that since you knew this soul in life, you would hesitate to fight him. Which in fact, you did. Right now, the brother's soul is desperately fighting that Hollow, for his sister's sake."

" _ **Ugh… Orihime!"**_ Rei turned her attention back to Sora. Her heart broke at the agonized scream of the older Inoue as he fought for control. She quickly covered Orihime as the mask covering Sora's face shattered, revealing the human face underneath the mask.

Rei could feel the tears run down her friend's cheeks as she lowered the both of them to the ground, her own body succumbing to the exhaustion of her injuries. She didn't listen as Rukia explained the Chain of Fate to Ichigo. Instead, she kept her eyes on the corrupted soul before her.

"I need to treat her." Rukia had walked over to the two girls before kneeling in front of them. Rei gave a small nod as she slowly released her friend. She watched as the Shinigami placed her hand over Orihime's wound, a soft green light emitting from her hand.

"That hairpin she's wearing was a present from you. Wasn't it, Sora?" Ichigo asked after seeing the look of recognition pass over the soul's face. "She told me that once. That's why she wears it every single day."

Rei looked between her two friends and Sora. Her mind raced with thoughts of the events that passed. She knew she should resent the man for almost killing all of them, but she found she couldn't. The thought that Sora was forced to become this monster and attack her friends broke her heart. She could feel the tears she cried when she found spirits flood her eyes. She thought that, maybe these were the spirit's tears that they were unable to shed.

She watched as Sora's hair covered his eyes, his head hung low as he pushed his hunched form to stand tall. She could feel her eyes widen when she saw him turn away from them as he reached out a hand,

For Ichigo's sword.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Sora raised the blade in his hand, knowing that what he was about to do was for the best for his sister. "I only have a short time before the Hollow overwhelms me and changes me back into a monster. So while I'm still sane and can think clearly, I'll end this." He pulled the blade back as he aimed the tip at his throat.

Ichigo tried to stop him when Rukia stopped his plea. "It's alright. He's made the right decision. Once you become a Hollow, you can never go back to what you were again. Passing on is the best thing for him." Not once had the girl looked up from her task of healing Orihime.

"Rukia…"

"It's okay. You'll learn that exorcising a Hollow is not the same as killing it." Rukia looked over her shoulder to the stunned Substitute. "You are cleansing its soul and allowing it to pass on to the Soul Society. That's why Shinigami exist in the first place. To help all souls find their way, and finally rest in peace."

While listening to the two talk, Rei had stood from the ground, her body protesting at the action. She had made her way over to Sora, her green eyes clashing with his grey. She gave a large smile to him as she placed a shaky hand on his side. "Orihime can't say it, so I will. I've known her for years and not once has she ever forgotten you. She spoke highly of you and treasured your memory more than anything. I'm sorry I never met her sooner and got to meet the amazing big brother she loves." Her voice trailed off before she finished in a whisper, meant only for Sora's ears. "I'll look after Orihime for you, she's one of my best friends. So don't worry about her anymore. Rest now knowing that your sister will be protected and happy."

Sora could only stare at the girl standing next to him. Here she was, smiling at him after he had put her through so much pain. Had caused her agony as he ripped into her.

But she had forgiven him. By speaking to him and even touching him, she had forgiven all the wrongdoings he had done. He could feel his very soul brighten at the fact that he could move on now. There was nothing keeping him from passing over.

"Wait… I have to tell you something." Orihime's weak voice pulled everyone's attention as she turned her head to look at her brother. "These hairpins… remember the argument we had about them? The day you gave them to me? I said I didn't like it because I thought I didn't look grown up enough for me. I know I hurt your feelings, and you left without saying anything else. And that was the last time I saw you alive… So now I want to say what I should have said when you went off to work that day." she ignored Rukia's hands on her shoulders as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her eyes filled with tears as she smiled up at her brother. "Bye Brother. Have a good day." Her tears fell as she kept her eyes on Sora.

Sora returned her smile with a small one of his own, his eyes light as he looked to his younger sister. "Thank you, Orihime." Raising the Zanpakutō once more, he plunged the blade into his being.

The moment the blade pierced his body, his form glowed a faint blue before he vanished, leaving behind a small black butterfly. Ichigo's sword clanked to the ground as everyone watched the spirit finally pass on.

Orihime clung to Rukia as she wailed. Her sobs shook her body as the realization that Sora was gone hit her. The raven haired Shinigami allowed the girl to cry on her as she wept.

Ichigo gazed sadly at his friend, unable to do much to comfort her. His eyes traveled over to Rei. The girl had been silent ever since her conversation with Sora. He could still see her standing where the soul once stood, her hand at her side. Walking over to her, Ichigo caught sight of the tears streaming down her face. The two locked eyes, a silent conversation being held.

Suddenly, Rei gave a small smile at her friend. She felt lighter than she had yesterday. She felt as if she was actually able to do something for Sora as he passed. Looking at her friend, she leaned her head on his chest, his arms coming to hold her up. Her body ached from her wounds and she was sure she had reopened them with her reckless actions. Her mind was tired from almost getting killed and then watching Sora come back to his senses.

' _At least… Orihime got to see him one last time.'_

With the lingering thought, Rei allowed her eyes to close, her friend's heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

Ichigo looked down to the girl he saw as another sister. He was relieved that she was alive, hurt, but alive. His arms had come to wrap around her, pulling her closer as he felt her drift off. He was going to ensure that she never had to face that again. He would become a Shinigami if only to keep his friends and family safe.

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 **And done! Whew that took forever to get done! So tell me, what did you think? I had many sleepless nights trying to get this right but in the end, I think it turned out wonderful.**

 **But 28 pages…**

 **I don't think I have ever written that much in a chapter. Oh well! Let me know what you think! What do you guys think will happen?**

 **Until next time,**

 **JA NE~~**


	4. Chapter 3

**Okay! Here is the third chapter of the Journey to the Past story! I swear I have written more for this one story than I have for any other. And that's saying a lot.**

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I couldn't help the blank stare on my face as I stared at Chad. Not only had he been late for school, but we find out that he had helped a man in an accident, taken him to the hospital, and had a steel beam fall on his head. THEN he brings a bird to school…?

Okay, let's recap on how we got to this point, shall we?

 _ **Flashback!**_

" _ **Hey, Ichigo!" I called out as I gathered my things.**_

 _ **Ichigo looked over at me from his place by the door, "Yeah? What's up, Rei?"**_

 _ **Grabbing my classwork in my hand, I made my way over to the orange haired teen. "I have to take this to Sensei. I had fallen asleep in class so I didn't get the chance to take it to her before she left." I explained walking out of the room. Walking away from Ichigo, I quickly dashed down the hall with a shout of "Be back soon!" over my shoulder.**_

 _ **It had taken me five minutes to reach the Teacher's Office where I located my Sensei, handed her my classwork, got scolded for sleeping, apologized for my laziness, and left.**_

 _ **On the way out, my face collided with the wall. Or… what I thought was the wall. Looking up, I found myself staring at Chad. Tilting my head, I gazed in confusion, question marks floating around my head.**_

" _ **Hey Chad. Just getting to school?" I asked.**_

" _ **Yeah."**_

 _ **I nodded my head in acceptance. I would ask about the various wounds on his body later when we get to the roof. "Well, it's lunch time and I was about to head to the roof to meet up with the others." I offered as I turned to leave. Just as I looked down, I caught sight of something in Chad's hand.**_

" _ **Hi there. I'm Yuichi Shibata, what's your name?"**_

 _ **I stared in question at the white cockatiel that just spoke to me. His black eyes gazed at me in curiosity as his small head turned from side to side.**_

" _ **I'm Rei Kamamoto, Yuichi-kun." I answered my brows up to my hairline. Not because I was talking to a bird, but because the bird wasn't a bird, but a little boy. "How old are you, Yuichi-kun?" I asked, crouching down in front of the cage holding him. Sticking my finger through the bars, I watched as Yuichi rubbed his small head along my finger in an affectionate gesture.**_

" _ **I'm seven, Miss Rei." He answered.**_

 _ **Looking back at Chad, I retracted my hand before motioning to the roof. "We might want to get going before Ichigo kills Keigo and Mizuiro."**_

 _ **End of Flashback!**_

So the two of us had come to the roof where we found Keigo bothering Ichigo again. Mizuiro stood off to the side as he watched our friends goof off as they usually did. Lastly, I was shocked and a little annoyed to find Kuchiki there, though she seemed to be preoccupied with something.

"So, Rukia-chan, if you need something you can come to me for help. I'm here for you!" Keigo exclaimed as he tried to flirt with the oblivious ravenette.

Kuchiki looked up at his offer, her eyes alight and her little sparkles floating about her head. "Great! Open this!" she thrust out her hand to reveal an unopened juice box and straw in her hand.

Is… is that what she was messing with…?

Blinking my eyes I watched Keigo laugh and back up into Chad, alerting him and the others of our arrival. Deciding to skip the annoying questioning from Keigo, I walked over to the only other female.

"Need some help with that?" I asked in boredom as I pointed to the drink in her hand.

Kuchiki seemed to stare at me for a long time before she snapped out of her thoughts. "You know how to open these?" she questioned, turning the box this way and that way as if she tried to figure out an intricate puzzle.

Raising a brow, I quietly plucked the juice and straw from her hand. I unwrapped the straw and then poked the sharp end into the top where the foil circle was. "Here." Holding out the now open drink, I watched as her eyes widened in wonder before she took the juice from my hand.

"Woah, so that's how you open it…" she pondered to herself.

"REI-CHAN!"

Suddenly I was knocked off my feet when Keigo finally noticed me. I didn't have time to brace myself before the brown haired boy and I crashed to the hard ground. My vision began to spin and my hearing gave out for a moment from the shock. I could faintly hear Ichigo yelling at Keigo.

"Asano-san, git yer ass off of meh." I ground out through my teeth. I felt Keigo quickly release my body before leaping back in surprise.

I felt another pair of hands grip my shoulders, pulling my body off of the ground. Looking up, I found my helper to be Ichigo. "You alright there, Rei?" he asked, checking over my body for any injuries the idiot may have caused.

Giving a sigh, I nodded my head before pulling myself to my feet "'m fine." I muttered, dusting off my clothes. Walking back over to Chad, I noticed everyone take notice of his injuries.

"So Chad, what's with the bandages?" Ichigo was the first to ask as we all gathered in a circle around our giant friend. All of us had taken seats on various parts of the roof in order to hear how out friend got hurt.

"I had a mishap. A steel beam fell on my head." Was Chad's reply. All of us stared in bewilderment at his confession. The same question of how this guy was still alive floated about our heads.

"A steel beam?! For real?!" Keigo exclaimed. He quickly threw his head around to face me, his eyes wide as he grabbed my shoulders. "Rei-chan! Did you know about this?! Why didn't you tell us?!" He shouted as he shook my body back and forth.

My eyes widened at the action, my head being thrown around from Keigo's shaking. "I just found out, too, you moron!" I shouted between movements.

Chad raised a hand to show the bandages over the limb as he continued, ignoring Keigo and I. "My hand got hurt when a motorcycle ran into me. The rider that hit me got banged up pretty bad. The force of the collision threw him off course and he got knocked out; so I took him to the hospital."

By now, I had gotten Keigo to let go of me. I had walked up to Chad and taken Yuichi's cage, holding him close to my chest. I felt my friend pat my head as I sat on the ground with his new friend. I was able to hear Keigo ask where the white bird came from. I was curious myself so I turned my attention away from Yuichi to look at Chad for an answer.

Instead of the large teen answering, it was Yuichi himself who answered. Just like when he spoke to me, he answered with an introduction. "Hello, my name is Yuichi Shibata. What's your name?"

Turning my head down, I allowed my hair to cover my eyes. I knew that the bird was not as he appeared and wanted to see Ichigo's reaction. Ichigo's eyes widened, his body tensed and he quickly cast a glance at Kuchiki who had the same look in her eyes.

I could feel my eyes narrow at their reactions. Ichigo had been acting strange lately and it started from when the new girl transferred into our class. From the way they act, they knew something. Something to do with the spirits Ichigo and I see.

I ignored Keigo as he stuck his fingers in the cage, asking Yuichi questions. My focus was on my childhood friend and his newfound shadow as they whispered amongst themselves. I wasn't a fool. I knew when Ichigo was hiding thing from me and this was definitely one of those times.

Ichigo looked away from Yuichi to look at Chad. "So Chad, where did you get this bird?" he asked again.

"Someone…" Chad trailed off his sentence, as if he were trying to think of the correct words to say.

…

…

…

"Gave him to me." He finally decided.

The answer didn't please Keigo as he stood from his place in front of me to point at our larger friend. "Hold it! There you go again; getting lazy and cutting your story short! Come on, man! That's a bad habit you have Chad! Now explain! Spill it!" he urged as Chad came to sit beside me and Yuichi.

The two of us fed Yuichi some bread I pulled from my bag. I even opened his cage in order to offer him some water from Chad's water bottle.

During all of this, I never took my eyes off of Ichigo and Kuchiki.

"I gotta tell ya. Back in eighth grade, that was when Rei and I first met Chad. The color of my hair always got people's attention. And not in a good way, and I'd always end up in these fights. Rei always tried to stop them, she could be tough when she needs to be." Ichigo began weaving the tale of how Chad came to be our friend. The memories flooded my mind like a raging river bursting through a dam. "Actually, the time we met Chad, his timing couldn't have been better. We were in a bit of a scrape. Some punks had blindsided Rei and I and separated us. Naturally since she was a girl, it wouldn't have ended well for her once they go through with me. These guys really meant business." The image of Ichigo being pinned down by a few of those assholes came to mind.

The leader of the group had a cinderblock in his hands and was about to bring it down on Ichigo's head. I remember being held against one of the guys' chest with my arms twisted behind me. I was being forced to watch as they beat my friend for his hair color. They wanted to show me what a 'real Japanese man' looked like. I had never been so thankful than when Chad stepped in. He had disarmed the leader, causing the others to surround and gang up on him. He took a beating for two strangers he didn't even know. Of course the gang was beaten after that and they ran away, but I would never forget the day that Chad saved us.

"And that was the day we met Chad." Ichigo finished. His mind seemed to come back from the memories just as my mind cleared. It seemed like I wasn't the only one thinking back.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"So Ichigo, did you and Kuchiki have a good chat?" Rei asked, her eyes forward as she walked with her friend back to his place. Her mother would be pulling an overnight shift for work and wanted Rei to stay at the Kurosaki residence for the night or go back to her Uncle's.

Ichigo stared at his friend in confusion. "Huh? What're you talking about?" he questioned.

Rei shrugged her shoulders. "It just seems like you and Kuchiki have gotten close in the few days she's been here. I hardly see you without her now. Even today at lunch…" she trailed off as she allowed her hair to cover her face, not once looking at her friend. "You told her of how Chad became our friend."

The orange haired teen widened his eyes. "You heard that?" he asked. When he only received a nod as an answer, he turned his eyes away. "Rei-"

"You know I love Chad as our friend, Ichigo. But you also know that I hate feeling useless just like I did that day. Yeah we were in middle school, but I felt like I should have been able to do something!" her voice wavered, her fists clenching in her pockets. "I had to stand there and watch as they almost crushed your head in, Ichi."

Ichigo hated to see his friend break down. It didn't happen often and when it did, it made him feel like the useless one. So, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his chest. He used to do this when they were kids too, now that he thinks about it.

The two walked in silence as the Kurosaki Clinic came into view. Ichigo led his friend into the house, the duo leaving their shoes in the entryway. Just as the pair made it into the main part of the house, the sound of rushing feet broke them from their thoughts.

The sight of the oldest Kurosaki twin dressed in her nurse's attire set off an alarm in Rei's head. Pulling away from her friend, the blonde made a b line for the stairs. Ichigo stood in the main floor, watching his sister run from place to place in a hurry. "Get out of the way, Ichigo!" Karin shouted as she ran.

Yuzu was the next to follow, a first aid box in her hand as she too, raced past her brother. "Welcome home, Ichigo." She managed to get out as she followed her sister.

Ichigo was about to ask his sisters what was going on when he found Rei racing past him as well, her school uniform changed to a nurses outfit as well.


End file.
